Newspaper: France prepares medical personnel for potential surge of war casualties

The French government has sent instructions to regional health agencies (ARS) on preparing medical staff for the possible arrival of large numbers of patients from war zones, according to French investigative weekly newspaper Le Canard enchaîné.

The training of doctors and medical personnel was initiated by the Ministry of Health at the request of the French General Secretariat for Defence and National Security and should be completed by March 2026. During this time, it is planned to set up medical centres that will be able to receive 100 casualties per day for two months and, during peak periods, up to 250 people per day for three days.

Civilian hospitals must be prepared to receive between 100,000 and 500,000 people over a period of ten to 180 days.

It is planned to establish medical centres near major transport hubs to receive patients from the combat zone and “return them to their home countries.” At the same time, foreigners will be tracked in the system to ensure “compensation to medical institutions and specialists mobilised to provide medical assistance to foreign armed forces [or] allies, in accordance with international agreements.”

“From now on, [ARS directors are asked] to let the medical community know about the restrictions of wartime, which is marked by a lack of resources, increased needs, and possible consequences on [French] territory,” says the Health Ministry's memo. Particular attention is recommended to be paid to “the treatment of post-traumatic mental disorders, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.”

At the same time, the instruction implies the requisitioning of all medical workers in the country, regardless of their field of activity, to supplement the 14,000 women and men already serving in the French Armed Forces' military medical service. The newspaper also refers to another “confidential instruction” from the Ministry of Health stating that in the event of active hostilities, eight French military hospitals will have to make room for wounded French infantrymen.

“Civilian cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, who currently make up the majority of their contingent, are being asked to recover quickly or die in a civilian hospital,” the publication notes ironically.

By Tamilla Hasanova