Without fear of blood: Academy of military medicine. Military doctors of the Great Patriotic War

Doctors are different, among them there are those who have shoulder straps on their shoulders. A military doctor is a difficult profession, but extremely necessary. And certainly the most humane among all military specialties. Primarily military doctor- This is a man with a higher medical education and officer epaulettes on his shoulders. In principle, there are more military doctors in the army - these are private nurses, medical sergeants, and warrant officers. But only officers can be in medical positions, only the phrase “medical service” is added to their rank, for example, “senior lieutenant of the medical service”. In the not so distant past, military doctors were exclusively men. In our time, the sex ratio in the medical service has almost leveled off, some women have even reached the rank of colonel.

What does a military doctor do? The most obvious answer is healing the wounded. In fact, this is just one of the many tasks of a military doctor, and even then mainly in combat conditions. In peacetime, he has a lot of duties and not all of them are related to medicine. In short, all the medical support of the Armed Forces rests on it, and this includes medical and preventive work, and sanitary and hygienic supervision, and anti-epidemic measures, and medical supplies, and many other terrible words. In simpler terms, the military doctor must protect the soldier and officer from everything that could prevent them from performing their combat missions. Actually, therefore, doctors have never been in the army in the first roles, but have always been part of the units and support units.

There are two large groups of military doctors. The former are called “organizers” in military medical slang, the latter are called “healers”. How they differ should be clear from the names. The former are mainly engaged in administrative and managerial activities. The second, respectively, are treated. The first are various kinds of chiefs (the head of the first-aid post, the commander of the medical unit, the head of the medical service of the unit, etc.), the second are residents in hospitals, medical specialists, etc.

The primary link of military doctors is also called military. These are doctors and chief medical officers of battalions, brigades, etc. They are included in the staff of military units and live in the places of their permanent deployment. It is on them that the main work on prevention, as well as the earliest possible detection of diseases in soldiers, control over the quality of food, water, proper air temperature in the barracks, the regularity of washing in the bath and changing underwear falls. It is they who are the first to encounter outbreaks of acute respiratory viral infections or intestinal infections in units, fight infected abrasions and other skin infections, go to night firing, raise the alarm and leave with units for exercises.

How to become a military doctor? The first option is to go from cadet to lieutenant by enrolling in a specialized military university. True, after the reforms of Mr. Serdyukov in Russia, he was the only one left: the S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg (VMedA). However, the second option is also possible: from the moment of graduation from a civilian medical university and up to 35 a doctor can enter the service under the contract.

Admission to the Military Medical Academy differs significantly from admission to a civilian medical university. For example, there is a strict age limit: you can enter only at the age of 16-22, and the age is considered on August 1 of the year of admission. If you turn 16 on August 2, you will have to wait a whole year, and if 23 hits on July 31, you will have to abandon the academy. Another significant difference: the receipt must be puzzled in advance. The application must be submitted to the local military registration and enlistment office no later than April 20 of the year of receipt. Here, in the local military registration and enlistment offices, the first round of selection takes place. The most important milestone to be overcome is the medical commission. It is carried out in accordance with the "Regulations on the military medical examination", more precisely, paragraph "d" of the Table of additional requirements for the state of health of citizens. Most often, vision becomes an obstacle for admission, it should be at least 0.8 / 0.5 for near without correction and at least 0.8 / 0.5 for distance with correction, and “pluses” or “minuses” in glasses should not must exceed 4 diopters. Allergy to vaccinations and antibiotics will also close the way to the shoulder straps of a military doctor. The most interesting thing is that it is possible to serve as a soldier with all the above pathologies, but it is no longer possible to become a medical officer. The second stage of selection is carried out according to the documents. The reason for refusal may be, for example, a criminal record. Applicants are invited to the third stage from July 1 to July 30 at the VMedA training center in Krasnoye Selo. Here they once again undergo an extended medical commission, professional psychological selection in the form of many hours of testing (in accordance with the order of the Minister of Defense No. 50 of 2000), and also pass physical fitness standards - 100-meter run, 3 km cross and pull-up ( Order of the Minister of Defense No. 200 of 2009). The requirements for physical training are quite strict, and the point system allows you to screen out an almost unlimited number of candidates. 170 points or more can be considered a relative guarantee. In more understandable numbers: 15 pull-ups (70 points), 3 km in 12 minutes 24 seconds (50 points), 100 m in 13.9 seconds (51 points). There are options, for example, you can pull yourself up less, but run a three-point faster. Or run a hundred meters in 11.8 seconds and get 100 points for it. For girls, who for some time now can also enter military universities, the requirements are softer. It is enough for them to run 1 km instead of 3, and pull-ups for them are replaced by torso bends. And only after all this, they look at the results of the exam in Russian, biology and chemistry, and one of them is necessarily profiling, i.e. with an equal sum of points, the advantage is for the applicant who passed better, for example, chemistry, as this year. The determination of the final admission criteria (analogous to the “passing score”) is determined by the academy annually, so it is impossible to predict in advance what your child’s chances of admission are.

Features of study. In the Military Medical Academy, at the faculties of training doctors (and there are three of them: II, where land pilots are trained, III, flight and IV, marine) study for 6 years. It takes 6 years to obtain a doctor's diploma, and another year - for primary medical specialization (internship). From 1st to 5th year - cadets (with soldier and sergeant ranks), 6th year - lieutenants.

To the complexity of studying at a medical university, "hardships and deprivations of military service" are added. Walking in formation, barracks position for the first 2 courses, early rise, mandatory morning exercises, observance of uniforms, daily outfits, etc. Therefore, young men who have big problems with the word “must” should better avoid cadet shoulder straps. Future military doctors regularly run cross-country races, undergo ski training, and pass standards in swimming and shooting. Keep in mind that if you are overweight, all this will be problematic.

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Military doctors in the army are highly respected figures. They are treated with honor by both ordinary and senior officers, considering doctors to be smart, intelligent, "intelligent" people.

Story

The medical profession has a long history. The troops of ancient Egypt had dressing stations. Ancient Roman legionnaires were served by entire teams of doctors. Also, the legions were served by specially trained, unarmed people who, during the battle, carried the wounded out of the battle. The warriors of Ancient Russia took with them special kerchiefs (ribs) on campaigns, which were used to dress wounds; the technique of applying tourniquets was also used.

In the Zaporizhzhya Host, according to legend, the functions of field healers could be performed by the so-called “Cossacks-characterists”: they were impeccable warriors and knew many secrets from the fields of martial arts, strategy and tactics, medicine, and psychology. Cossacks-characterists were such skillful warriors and authoritative personalities in their circles that in myths and legends they are endowed with magical abilities, the ability to "communicate with a pure spirit and ward off evil spirits."

The first regimental doctors in the imperial army are officially mentioned in 1616. In 1847, the luminary of medicine N.I. Pirogov, for the first time used general anesthesia in the field; this made it possible to perform complex surgical operations in field hospitals.

Description, pros and cons

A military doctor is a person with a higher medical education and epaulettes on his shoulders. There are a lot of doctors in the army - paramedics with the rank of ensigns, private orderlies, and sergeant medical instructors. But only officers can be doctors, starting with junior officers. At present, there are many women among the officers of the medical service.

The profession of a doctor in the army is respected. Even the young senior lieutenant of the medical service, the commander of the colonel, is simply called "doctor", treating him, to some extent, as an equal.
Free professional development. There are many opportunities for development, almost a third of the service is occupied by training.
All benefits and social bonuses due to military personnel of this profession.

housing difficulties.
Possibility to be called on alarm at any time of the day.
High probability of a business trip to a hot spot.
During large-scale hostilities, military doctors work in close proximity to the front.

Responsibilities

In general terms, the main task of a military doctor is to save the lives of wounded soldiers. In peacetime, military doctors have a lot of duties that are far from always related to medicine. The work of military doctors is the main foundation of medical support for the armed forces of the state. They carry out sanitary and hygienic supervision, carry out medical and preventive work, carry out anti-epidemic measures, control medical supplies (deliveries of drugs, tools, equipment, gaskets and dressings, etc.), supervise medical examinations.

The military doctor not only treats the wounded, but also actively participates in removing obstacles that may prevent officers and soldiers from performing combat missions.

Career, salary and prospects

The salaries of drill sergeants are very low. The salary of colonel-heads of departments in hospitals, in the army - not less than 20,000 rubles per month. Lieutenants (graduates of the Military Medical Academy) have an average of 10 thousand.

The need for military doctors today is very high, since the military medicine of the Russian Federation has not yet recovered from the unreasonable reforms of the 2000s, after which the army's medical staff was cut three times. In general, the military doctors of the armed forces are tacitly divided into "medical specialists" and "organizers". The first are engaged in administration, management activities. "Healers" conduct direct medical practice. Each direction has its own advantages and disadvantages. As you make your choice, think carefully about what kind of experience you want to have after you retire.

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Who it

A man with a higher medical education and officer epaulettes on his shoulders. In principle, there are more military doctors in the army - these are private nurses, medical sergeants, and warrant officers. But only officers can be in medical positions, only the phrase “medical service” is added to their rank, for example, “senior lieutenant of the medical service”.

In the not so distant past, military doctors were exclusively men. In our time, the sex ratio in the medical service has almost leveled off, some women have even reached the rank of colonel. True, there are no generals of the medical service among them yet, but something tells me that there will be more.

field-medics.jpg

The most obvious answer is healing the wounded. In fact, this is just one of the many tasks of a military doctor, and even then mainly in combat conditions. In peacetime, he has a lot of duties and not all of them are related to medicine. In short, all the medical support of the Armed Forces rests on it, and this includes medical and preventive work, and sanitary and hygienic supervision, and anti-epidemic measures, and medical supplies, and many other terrible words.

In simpler terms, the military doctor must protect the soldier and officer from everything that could prevent them from performing their combat missions. Actually, therefore, doctors have never been in the army in the first roles, but have always been part of the units and support units.

Hospital and polyclinic doctors are considered the military medical elite. Between the "military" and "hospital" exists ... uh ... well, let some tension. Those who work "in the fields" consider their colleagues to be "not real" military men, and the personnel of the health facility make fun of the "artisans" and "klutzes" from the troops. But in general, of course, the picking is more of a friendly character, since both of them are tied with the same snakes. Those that they have on shoulder straps and buttonholes.

academy-management.jpg

The first option is to go from cadet to lieutenant by enrolling in a specialized military university. True, after the reforms of Mr. Serdyukov in Russia, he remained the only one: the Military Medical Academy named after S.M. Kirov in St. Petersburg (VMedA). Previously, military medical faculties were located in medical institutes in Saratov, Samara and Tomsk. Just the other day, the current Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu announced the possibility of restoring military faculties, but this can only be destroyed quickly, the reverse process takes time, effort and money. If the military faculties are returned, then after 4 years of study at a civilian medical university, it will be possible to enter there and finish my studies as a military doctor.

However, the second option is also possible: from the moment of graduating from a civilian medical university and up to the age of 35, any doctor can enter the service under a contract, however, the troops do not really like this option and affectionately call such werewolves military doctors “jackets”.

Photo from the "VMedA" VKontakte group, as well as from the personal archive of the author

Military doctors or, as they were also called, military doctors are military personnel with a higher medical education and having the appropriate rank. At one time, it was Russian military doctors who made a huge contribution to military medicine, so Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov became the founder of military field surgery, the founder of anesthesia. During the Great Patriotic War, as well as during local conflicts of our time: the war in Afghanistan and the Chechen campaigns, Russian military doctors saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

On June 13, 2013, the next, 13th award ceremony for the best doctors in Russia called "Vocation" took place at the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army. This ceremony was hosted by People's Artist of Russia Alexander Rosenbaum and well-known TV presenter Elena Malysheva. At the ceremony in the nomination “Military doctors. Special Prize for Doctors Providing Assistance to Victims During Wars, Terrorist Acts and Natural Disasters” the award went to a group of military doctors of the RF Ministry of Defense, who during the counter-terrorist operation of 1994-1995 on the territory of Chechnya provided the necessary medical assistance to the injured and wounded.

The award to military doctors was personally presented by the Minister of Defense of Russia, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu. In his welcoming speech, Shoigu noted the importance of the work of military doctors, and also expressed gratitude and gratitude to them for their selfless work not only during the conduct of hostilities, but also in peaceful everyday life. On the stage, the nominees were thanked by Russian officers Alexei Buzdygar and Sergei Muzyakov, who in 1995 themselves went through the caring hands of decorated military doctors.

A group of military doctors consisting of the head of the hospital Oleg Popov, as well as surgeons Alexander Drakin, Mikhail Lysenko, therapist Alexander Kudryashov as part of the 696th Special Purpose Medical Detachment in December 1994 had to deploy their military field hospital near the city of Mozdok. In those days, military doctors worked 16-18 hours a day, operations went one after another without interruption. Every day, the personnel of the field hospital prepared hundreds of wounded Russian soldiers and officers for evacuation and sending to the “mainland”. For the entire period of military operations in the Caucasus, military doctors have saved thousands of lives of Russian servicemen.

The fate of Dr. Oleg Popov and his colleagues is in many ways indicative and serves as an example of heroism and selflessness, devotion to duty. Oleg Aleksandrovich Popov went through the entire first war in Chechnya, as they say, “from start to finish”, being appointed in 1993 as commander of the 696th special forces medical detachment. It was the doctors of this detachment who promptly set up a hospital in Mozdok, where almost every third soldier wounded in Chechnya was able to receive timely treatment. For his excellent service in the North Caucasus, Oleg Aleksandrovich was awarded the Order of Military Merit. But these are not his only military awards, the military doctor received the previous 4 military orders while providing medical assistance to Soviet soldiers and officers during the Afghan war.

In March 1996, Oleg Popov was dismissed from the ranks of the Armed Forces: the severe shell shock that he received during the Afghan campaign worsened in Chechnya, and his state of health no longer allowed him to perform the duties of a military doctor in the same rhythm. After his dismissal from the Russian army, Oleg Popov, the only medical officer in the entire Armed Forces who was awarded 5 military orders, was a simple military pensioner for 11 years. However, in 2007 Popov was invited to his current position. Oleg Popov became the general director of the interregional public organization Association of Veterans of the Russian Military Medical Service. Since then, veterans of the Russian medical service have been under his direct, personal care. He tries to do everything possible and impossible in order to provide his colleagues with the necessary social, medical, and sometimes material assistance.

If we talk about the Chechen campaigns, then there are many soldiers and officers who will remember Russian military doctors with a kind word. One of these is Captain Alexander Krasko, who was "killed" 3 times in the Caucasus. Twice it was a sniper in the first Chechen campaign. For the third time, already as a colonel, he was blown up by militants on the road to Urus-Martan. He still can't forget his very first wound. Then a sniper's bullet entered his neck and threw him over the curb. This curb saved his life, the sniper could not finish him off. Later, a medic from their battalion pulled him across the street. During the rescue of the wounded, he himself was seriously injured, but was able to drag Krasko to MTLB. In just 15 minutes, the officer was already operated on in Khankala.

After that, Alexander Krasno was treated in military hospitals for quite a long time. He returned to duty only a year later, and in August 1996 in Grozny he again received a bullet. This time, the officer was evacuated by helicopter under heavy fire from the militants. The medical pinwheel received 37 different holes. But the military pilots and the military doctors accompanying the wounded were able to deliver 5 seriously wounded servicemen to the military hospital in time. Since then, officer Alexander Krasko celebrates his birthday 4 times a year. And he always raises his glass and says a toast to the doctors in uniform. And there are dozens, if not hundreds, of such stories as with Colonel Alexander Krasko in Russian military medicine.

It was all the more offensive for many to look at what happened to Russian military medicine in recent years. Recently, the new Minister of Defense of Russia, Sergei Shoigu, noted that military hospitals are no longer going to close, according to him, the Russian Ministry of Defense has its own “road map” on this issue. “We don’t plan to close anything else,” said the general, who visited the State Flight Test Center. Chkalov, located in Akhtubinsk. At the same time, Shoigu later clarified that part of the military hospitals would be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA). In particular, we are talking about those military towns and garrisons in which there are few military personnel and it makes no sense to keep a large number of medical workers there.

“Still, in many places we have clinics that seem to be good, and the equipment is wonderful, but the specialists are worse. Therefore, we will train new medical personnel at the Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg and send them, among other things, to Akhtubinsk,” Sergei Shoigu noted. Recall that the head of the Ministry of Defense decided to transfer military hospitals to the FMBA at the end of 2012. Then it was reported that all transferred medical institutions would receive the status of "civilian", and not only military personnel and members of their families, but also local residents would be able to seek medical help there.

The mass dismantling of military hospitals began at the initiative of the former Minister of Defense Anatoly Serdyukov back in 2008 as part of the reform of the Russian military medicine system. By 2009, 22 hospitals and several dozen polyclinics had been disbanded in the country, and the number of military doctors had decreased from 15,000 to 5,800 people.

The level of medical care and its effectiveness in military hospitals in Russia and the USSR have been high since these institutions only began to appear in our cities. The quality of medical services provided here by military specialists was not questioned either during the existence of the Russian Empire or during the Soviet era. It would seem that if the industry has a glorious and brings obvious benefits to citizens, then it must be supported and developed by all means. But in reality, things are different. Specialists do not get tired of saying that today military medicine is not in its best condition. As a result of the reform that has been carried out in recent years, a clear continuity has been broken from the construction of scientific, clinical, rehabilitation complexes to obtaining a healthy citizen at the exit after passing through this entire medical chain. And this is only a small part of the problems that military doctors face almost every day.

One of the main problems is the poor state of the material base of hospitals and hospitals. Many of them were built in the last century, and their wear is from 80% to 100%. It is clear that significant funds are required to restore them. According to Sergei Shoigu, today 72% of the buildings have been in operation for more than 40 years, most of them need reconstruction and overhaul, in addition to this, there is an urgent need for new premises. Not only dilapidated buildings, but also the quality of services provided today leaves much to be desired, the Minister of Defense stressed. The poor equipment of medical units with specialized equipment is alarming. This is a rather serious issue, since the lack of the necessary equipment means the impossibility of providing high-quality medical care in the field.

There are also problems with the provision of medicines. The need for military medicine in drug supply last year amounted to 10 billion rubles. But only 40% of the required amount was allocated. The lack of sufficient funds in the budget for this item, of course, did nothing to improve the situation. A similar situation is observed in financing the construction of new medical institutions. At present, the percentage of provision in construction and overhaul is no more than 30-40%. Hence the long-term chronic unfinished construction, and the depreciation of the material base. Some medical facilities have not been put into operation for more than 10 years, which does not allow the provision of medical care in full.

As you know, approximately 17 regions of Russia have completely lost the medical facilities of the Ministry of Defense. This has resulted in approximately 400,000 military personnel, as well as military retirees, now being forced to seek medical care in already overcrowded civilian medical facilities. If in a number of regions of Central Russia military pensioners, theoretically, without any special problems, can afford to seek medical care in civilian hospitals and clinics, then there are quite a few corners of Russia where at least several hundred kilometers have to be overcome from their place of residence to a settlement with a suitable hospital .

But the situation will still improve. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered to allocate 1.4 billion rubles for the purchase of new medical equipment, as well as the additional staffing of military hospitals with graduates of medical universities. In addition, the issue of commissioning hospital ships should be resolved and a detailed analysis of the need and feasibility of reducing the number of military medical facilities in a number of Russian regions should be made. All this cannot but rejoice.

Information sources:
-http://www.redstar.ru/index.php/component/k2/item/9639-lechit-po-prizvaniyu
-http://medportal.ru/mednovosti/news/2013/05/07/047mil
- http://newsland.com/news/detail/id/587854
-http://blog.kp.ru/users/2763549/post261039031

On the battlefield, valor is shown not only by the number of lives taken, but also by the number of saved. Only thanks to doctors, wounded warriors have a chance to survive, and sovereign rulers have noted this fact since ancient times. Military medicine has a rich history and is considered the progenitor of the modern healthcare system.

What it is?

The written history of mankind exists for 5000 years, and during all this time we have been able to live without wars for only 292 years. 16 thousand large and small confrontations claimed the lives of about 4 billion people and forever remained bloody stains in the history of mankind.

Military medicine is a field of medical care that develops the theoretical and practical methods of health care of the armed forces. Also promotes the creation of special measures for the protection of the health of the military in peace / wartime and develops comprehensive recovery programs for the rehabilitation of the sick and wounded. Thanks to these manipulations, the combat capability of the troops is maintained.

Disciplines

Military medicine deals with health promotion. Prevents the occurrence of injuries and diseases that may appear in a soldier during military service. Provides assistance when they appear. Such diseases and injuries usually include gunshot wounds, radiation sickness, infections, and chemical poisoning. Also, military medicine studies and develops criteria that determine the medical and psychological suitability of a person for military service.

The improvement of military craft, medicine and the healthcare system determined the need for the development of military medicine. As a result, many related disciplines have emerged:

Military field medicine (in particular, therapy and surgery).
Hygiene.
Military toxicology, radiology and medical protection.
Organization and tactics of medical service.
Management of the medical service.
Military pharmacy and epidemiology.
Troop medical support.

Each of them has its own field of activity, they can be considered independent industries, but still they form a single whole.

One of the most important areas is the organization and tactics of the medical service (OTMS). This is a discipline that studies and practices the medical support of troops in wartime. Its founder N. Pirogov was the first to speak about the need to study the nature and methods of combat in order to develop a strategy for organizing medical support. In wartime, this service should provide medical support, staff medical services with personnel, and prepare personnel for work in war conditions. Perform medical reconnaissance and protect medical units.

The task of medicine during the conduct of hostilities

Medical support during active hostilities should include the following measures:

Evacuation and treatment. Military doctors must search for, collect, evacuate the wounded and sick, and provide them with medical care. This will save the lives of the maximum number of people and ensure a quick recovery.
Prevention and hygiene. The main task is to maintain the combat capability of personnel, improve health and prevent disease.
WMD protection(weapons of mass destruction). Physicians are obliged to prevent or reduce the effect on personnel of the damaging factors of nuclear, chemical and bacteriological weapons.
Provision of property. Also, the task of the medical staff includes the procurement, storage and distribution of special material resources necessary to assist the wounded. That is, doctors must take care of bandages, antiseptics, antibiotics, etc. In addition, all personnel must be provided with individual first aid equipment.

Ancient world

The history of military medicine dates back to ancient times. For the first time, Hippocrates spoke about it, giving a description of the main elements of the discipline. He had to live during the period of the Greco-Persian wars, and the thinker himself often treated the wounded. As a result, he put all his accumulated experience into the work Treatise on Wounds. He was the first to propose an effective method for repositioning a dislocated shoulder.

In ancient India, the wounded were carried away from the battlefield by a special brigade, they were provided with first aid in tents equipped for this purpose.

The treatment of the military in the Roman Empire reached a fairly high level of development. It can be said that the Roman army was the first to include doctors who knew military affairs.

The development of combat medicine in Russia

For the first time, they began to provide first aid on the battlefield in Ancient Russia. During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, warriors used a tourniquet to stop bleeding, and kerchiefs were worn in quivers with arrows to bandage wounds.

There were always people with experience in treating wounds in the Russian army, but they took part in the battle on an equal footing with everyone else. The first effective step towards stabilizing the process of providing medical care was taken after Mikhail Romanov came to power. In 1620, Anisim Radishchevsky finished compiling the first military decree of the Charter of Russia - "The Military Book of All Shooting and Fire Tricks." In this treatise, for the first time, the main elements of military medicine were identified. Here the fundamentals (financial, legal and organizational) were mentioned that regulate the presence of doctors in the army and the procedure for providing assistance to the wounded.

Also, the "Decree of military, cannon and other matters relating to military science" influenced the emergence of military medicine. He saw the world in 1621, and here the so-called physician with a cart was first mentioned, who transported medicines. 33 years later, in 1654, the Pharmaceutical Order was issued. It is believed that it was he who had a huge impact on the development of military medicine. It described the features of the service of the royal court and the Russian army. After the issuance of the order, the first medical school in the country was founded, where doctors were trained in military medicine and were assigned to places in the archery regiments.

From Peter the Great to the Russo-Japanese War

The intensive development of military medicine falls on the period of the reign of Peter I. Since a permanent national army was formed, it became necessary to organize a medical service. Special "medical ranks" were created, which became an integral part of the military staff.

In 1768-1774, the first elements of the evacuation system were born. Military operations at that time were accompanied by plague, which became the main reason for organizing a complex of anti-epidemic measures.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, dressing stations were organized for several regiments, and the military police had to take out the wounded from the battlefield. During the Crimean War (1853-1856), for the first time, Russian soldiers were given service dressings and ambulances. A military infirmary was set up in the regimental staff, and a divisional infirmary was assigned to each division.

In 1904-1905, when the Russo-Japanese War was going on, evacuation became the main idea of medical support, hospitals were organized in the rear of the troops.

During a period of so-called calm, when hostilities ceased under relatively peaceful skies, the medical services underwent a reorganization. To increase their mobility, a special medical and sanitary battalion was created. In 1941, before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the principle of continuous removal of the wounded from the battlefield was introduced into the troops. The military stages approached the maximum distance to the front line and transported the wounded to specialized hospitals, which already created a powerful military health care system.

Medicine during the war years

During the Second World War, the Academy of Medical Sciences was established. Its intellectual basis was made up of military doctors N. Burdenko, L. Orbeli, I. Dzhanelidze and others. The rich experience of the Academy of Military Medicine subsequently formed the basis for the work of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

On November 12, 1942, the Museum of the Medical Service of the Red Army was established. He collected all the major medical achievements of past centuries. On the basis of the Museum of Military Medicine, academicians prepared 35 volumes summarizing the experience of Soviet medicine during the Great Patriotic War.

During the period of hostilities, the mass heroism of military doctors was clearly manifested. Thanks to their dedication, 90% of the sick and 70% of the wounded returned to duty. More than 116 thousand doctors received orders and medals, 47 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

In mid-1944, doctors began to test penicillin for the treatment of wounds, and the use of canned blood and blood substitutes increased. This made it possible to save lives for 72% of the wounded soldiers.

deadly fire

In a deadly battle, when the whole country was plunged into the agony of a fierce confrontation, doctors entered the battlefield next to the troops. They carried out wounded soldiers, delivered them to medical stations, provided first aid and evacuated them to medical battalions, hospitals and other specialized institutions. The medical service was well organized and worked without interruption. More than 200 thousand doctors, 500 thousand paramedics, nurses, orderlies and health instructors were part of the fleet and army.

I. Bagramyan, Marshal of the Soviet Union, once remarked that the image of a military doctor will forever remain for him the personification of humanism, courage and selflessness. How many of them died at the front, do not count. So many doctors took an active part in the fighting and so few received awards. Not because some were better, but because many simply did not live to see the bright Victory Day.

Most physicians were women. It was on their fragile shoulders that the main burden of military everyday life fell. While the entire male population was on the front line, the elderly, children, the disabled and the wounded needed the help of a nurse.

After the end of the war, public health began to solve new problems: protecting employees and civilians from biological, chemical, and radiation hazards; provision of space flights; development of military medicine for disasters and emergencies.

Russian medical system

Today, one of the main problems of the development of the Russian Federation is the tendency to increase mortality. The level of medical care does not allow pensioners to remain able to work and take part in the production of goods and services. On the other hand, there is another problem - only highly developed countries can resist the influence of modern WMD. Therefore, health care should be considered as the basis of national security.

Today, the development of combat medicine is coordinated by the Main Military Medical Directorate. It is intended for the organization of medical support for the Armed Forces. The basis for the practical development of this direction is the Academy of Military Medicine in St. Petersburg, the system of hospitals, military polyclinics, infirmaries and sanatoriums. Separately, the State Institute for the Improvement of Doctors is singled out, and 3 hospital ships are also at the disposal of military doctors.

Although combat medicine is considered an area where a systematic approach to serving 3 million people can be openly demonstrated, there are still many shortcomings. One of them is the distinction between military medicine and civilian medicine. They are considered completely different areas of activity, because of this, most of the achievements are duplicated, and development is much slower. For example, in the United States, solutions are being developed for the entire country, and here the development of combat medicine is recognized as a leader.

US Combat Medicine

The military medicine of the United States is aimed at providing support for the combat readiness of personnel. Conventionally, it can be divided into two programs. This is military medical and protection against weapons of mass destruction. Although in general, combat medicine is divided into three segments of activity:

Medical care for the military and their families, as well as military pensioners, reserve soldiers, combatants. This includes not only the provision of practical medical care, but also rehabilitation after injuries and the provision of psychological support.
Military field medicine. It is called upon to provide medical care, evacuate the wounded to military hospitals, treat the sick and prepare the seriously wounded for evacuation to the continental part of the country.
Medical and biological protection. Provides military protection from the effects of WMD.

Military medicine in Russia and the United States are fundamentally different. In America, medical care for military personnel is a defining quality of the standard of living. In this system, the department of the adviser to the secretary of defense functions (after all, it is he who deals with this issue), the medical departments of the infantry, military and air forces, medical officers and structures that ensure the implementation of programs.

More than 9.7 million people receive medical care every year. The Ministry of Defense operates 56 hospitals, 366 clinics, 257 veterinary clinics, 27 research facilities, 19 training centers and 11 institutes of military medicine. The medical support of the armed forces is at a high level, which many countries can only envy.

Meanwhile in Russia

The military is provided with specialized and qualified medical care in hospitals, branches and structural subdivisions. Where there are hospitals, branches and divisions, there are outpatient clinics.

The main hospitals of the country have all kinds of practical and diagnostic departments with the necessary equipment. The personnel are military doctors who can equally well provide assistance both in an equipped department and in the field. Attention is also paid to sanatorium-resort provision. The military and members of their families can improve their health in sanatoriums and rest homes.

If you look at the development of military medicine through the prism of the events of the Second World War, then it really achieved outstanding success. But in today's world something has gone wrong. The health care system has failed, and today it is clearly lagging behind other countries in development. Combat medicine should organically enter the healthcare system, be an integral part of it and share the results of achievements with it.

Indeed, this medical direction is a historically established complex with multidisciplinary specialized medical and scientific institutions and an army of doctors at the head. A few decades ago, this inspired respect, but now it's time to move on. There are still many weaknesses in the modern system of combat medicine. And if during the Great Patriotic War these omissions were compensated by the valor and dedication of doctors, today at the departments of military medicine the question needs to be asked point-blank: “How to take a step forward?”

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