The World Health Organisation has awarded Israel’s military field hospital, part of the IDF Medical Corps, with its highest rating – a “Type 3” score. It is so far the only country in the world to receive such a rating.
The score is based on a set of criteria laid out by the United Nation’s World Health Organisation in order to assess the quality and efficacy of care provided by foreign medical teams in response to humanitarian disasters.
The field hospital constitutes a 26-tent complex and was assessed by the WHO during a large-scale exercise. From the natural disaster in Haiti to the disaster in the Philippines, teams from the IDF Medical Corps have set up field hospitals and treated masses of injured victims.
Dr. Ofer Merin, commander of the field hospital told the Times of Israel that the field hospital is “not just some medics and doctors spread out in the field” but that he considered it a “national treasure”. The field hospital has the capabilities of an advanced conventional hospital, but with the ability to be deployed almost anywhere in the world in less than 24 hours.
Israel is a leading force in international humanitarian aid and continues to strive to be global leader in providing healthcare and expertise to disaster-struck and vulnerable countries.
