Immediate medical assistance

The I.S.A.R. Germany Medical Teams
The medical team of I.S.A.R. Germany stands for fast and comprehensive medical assistance in worldwide disaster operations. If a person is rescued from the rubble by the SAR teams during an I.S.A.R. mission, further treatment can be provided immediately thanks to I.S.A.R.'s own medical team. It consists of doctors and specialised medical personnel. It is also supported by logistics professionals who ensure that the treatment centre is set up smoothly. The equipment of the I.S.A.R. Germany medical team consists of a medical treatment centre and a tonne of medical material. The necessary medicines are provided by our partner aid organisation "action medeor" from Tönisvorst and are compiled according to the specific requirements of such an operation and WHO guidelines.

The medical team can either be deployed together with the Search and Rescue team or alone. Deploying them at the same time as the SAR team ensures that disaster victims receive rapid and vital medical care. Although large international aid organisations are able to set up fully functional and mobile hospitals, they often need several days to do so for logistical reasons. The medical team from I.S.A.R. Germany provides assistance precisely during this important period - in the first hours and days after a disaster until the mobile hospitals arrive. In many cases, this enables the injured to survive until large mobile clinics can be set up. This holistic concept has already proven its worth during the earthquake missions in Indonesia and Haiti, among others. "During our early missions, we realised how useful it is to dovetail the SAR and medical teams in order to provide good care for people. That's why we decided early on to pool our medical expertise in a medical team," says Medical Director Thomas Laackmann.

If the medical team is deployed alone - such as after the devastating hurricane in the Philippines in 2013 - it sets up a treatment centre at a suitable location. Once again, speed is the most important feature of the aid. The medical team can start treating patients after just a few hours.

The medical infrastructure in the countries affected by natural disasters is often severely damaged. This is why the range of tasks of the I.S.A.R. Germany medical team includes acute care for seriously injured people, the treatment of infected wounds, the administration of antibiotics and the immunisation of people in the disaster region. Even children have been born in the tents at an I.S.A.R. Germany treatment centre.

I.S.A.R. Germany is currently one of the first teams worldwide to undergo the certification process of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in order to be able to demonstrate a high standard in this area of medical assistance and thus provide the victims with the best possible help.

A medical assistant cares for a child.
Two female doctors wearing surgical masks stitch up an open wound on a young girl's head.
A man in a hard hat is being examined by a rescuer with the aid of a lamp.
A woman on a stretcher receives an injection and is treated by several paramedics.
A doctor examines the feet of a patient lying on a couch.
A male and female doctor treat an elderly man while he is lying on a couch.
A large tent in which many doctors and patients are being treated.
A drone photo of 11 I.S.A.R. Germany tents that serve as treatment centres.
A mobile treatment device for patient care.