Sun. Feb 16th, 2025

Medical care at the front and rapid evacuation: how Israel saves its wounded soldiers

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say they have found a way to save soldiers wounded in their ongoing wars against the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah - in Gaza and Lebanon, respectively - from the battlefield: immediate medical attention and rapid evacuation - usually by helicopter - to Israeli hospitals.

“From previous wars, such as the 2006 war in Lebanon, we learned the importance of acting as quickly as possible when one of our soldiers is wounded. The average time it takes for a soldier to receive medical treatment on the battlefield is 0 to 4 minutes,” explains a military officer from an IDF base in Tzrifin, in the center of the country.

At least 380 soldiers have been killed and 1.500 wounded in Gaza since the start of the ground operation, while in Lebanon, where a ceasefire appears imminent, 46 soldiers have been killed in combat.

The protocol established at the front is always the same: armoured and medical vehicles move to the points where there are wounded soldiers and, on the way to the helicopter, military doctors try to save their lives.

“During this journey, we perform blood transfusions, treat wounds and try to stabilise the patient. It is a crucial moment that our military doctors perform and we are very proud of them,” adds this military officer, who also recalls that 58 of them have died in the last year.

"It is the price we are paying, but it is the only way we have to save the lives of our soldiers. Military doctors have to go to combat zones and there they risk being shot by our enemies while they work," he said.

Body camera for medical treatment evacuation

Nearly 6.000 Israeli soldiers from both wars have been treated in the past year, with more than 1.600 evacuated by helicopter, and 90 percent of those wounded at close range were treated in the field, according to IDF figures.

"We do not have field hospitals. We have converted hospital floors in Israel into areas dedicated to trauma and the rehabilitation of our wounded," he explains.

Activities of the medical team

From physiotherapists to dentists

The military officer also explained that the Israel Defense Forces have also deployed physiotherapy, dental and orthopedic units to operate on the front lines.

"Regarding mental health, I must admit that we did not realise its importance until the beginning of the war in Gaza," said the officer, who claims that there are 850 regular and reserve professionals on the ground.

However, relatives of soldiers have complained since the outbreak of the war that the IDF has called up many of them again despite being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and undergoing treatment, which has led some to commit suicide.

According to an investigation by the newspaper Haaretz, at least ten soldiers have committed suicide since the beginning of the war in Gaza. Israel has not updated the suicide figures for months. EFE and Aurora

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