A field hospital or mobile medical shelter is basically a temporary medical facility that treats casualties near the battlefield, or in the events of disasters and catastrophes to provide medical care for injured individuals. It is also defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a mobile, self-sufficient, and self-contained health care facility that is capable of expansion or contraction and rapid deployment to address the need for immediate medical care for a certain period of time.
And while we often think of field hospitals as makeshift tents or repurposed shipping containers filled with advanced medical equipment, the concept of treating the wounded close to the battlefield has been around since ancient times. So read more as we are going to discuss some interesting historical facts about field hospitals and temporary triage facilities in today’s post.
Ancient Times
In times of war, it is a customary practice for both parties to remove dead and wounded soldiers on the battlefield. And those who received both major and minor injuries were given care inside temporary shelters. In fact, the earliest record of field surgeons helping fallen warriors is found in Homer’s Iliad.
According to this poem Podalirius and Machaon were valued surgeons in the Trojan War and they healed Menelaus, Philoctetes, and Telephus after sustaining injuries from the battle.
Also in the same period, The Romans and Greeks used nearby houses, temples, and stables as triage facilities for treating wounded soldiers. Even the ancient Romans were aware of the importance of sewage systems and drainage for keeping field medical facilities clean to get the combatants healthy again.
Middle Ages
During the Crusades, a lot of people became sick, blind, and lame. So the Catholic Church appointed religious orders like the Knight Hospitallers to provide medical care of the injured and sick. And they put up field hospitals in Acre and Jerusalem (1120-1291).
Medieval Spaniards were fairly proficient in providing field medical care that medics and surgeons were required to come along during campaigns. And centuries later, most health facilities in Europe followed the Arabian style of categorizing patients based on sex, injuries sustained, and type of disease. When the Moors were expelled by King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabela I from Northern Spain (Conquest of Granada), the Queen established temporary hospitals and used ambulances for her soldiers.
Early Modern Era
In the 18th century, the hospitals in France were miserable, extremely dirty, and utterly deplorable. In fact, most records describe medical facilities as places filled with disease and vermin and the bed to patient ratio were unimaginable (1 bed for 6 patients) that others who were in need of medical treatment had to lie on straws. The place was very filthy that visiting physicians had to cover their faces with sponges soaked in vinegar because of the disgusting and putrid smell. So the Academy of Sciences proposed several recommendations to improve the conditions inside the hospital.
On the other hand, Napoleonic period field hospitals were provided basic health care as hygiene and antibiotics were not yet discovered, and the most common treatment being given to wounded soldiers was amputation. Those who were amputated had to go through the process without anesthesia that they were only given options to bit a piece of wood or drink rum before severing their limb(s). And the worst part is the chances of surviving after amputation were not guaranteed.
Infection was also very common that the number of soldiers who died of infection were twice as much with those who died of gunshot wounds.
American Civil War
By 1861, the medical knowledge and equipment were still crude compared to modern standards we have today. So taking care of wounds, diseases, and infections were not treated properly that the possibility of dying was high even if the patient received medical treatment. Aside from that, the hygienic conditions were very poor due to lack of sanitation facilities and lack of basic provisions lead to the increase death rate in the hospitals. Even nurses and doctors were at risk of contracting disease while prisoners of war (POW) were subjected to more punishing conditions.
Field Hospitals In The 20th Century
During WW I, the United States Army installed evacuation hospitals or ‘evacs’. And at this time, they were already following an effective process to provide immediate medical care to wounded soldiers. To be specific, stretcher bearers were tasked to carry injured combatants to the Army’s battalion aid station to administer first aid. While seriously wounded soldiers were taken to ambulances and then to field hospitals so they’ll be grouped based on how lethal their injuries were.
On the other hand, soldiers who were poisoned by gas were treated in a specially equipped mobile facility.
The method of providing emergency medical care got even better in WW II as field hospitals (canvas tents) were even more mobile and are set up days after a battle. These facilities often have 400 beds and can be set up and strip within a few hours.
The Nazi Germans also had field hospitals, but their process of administering medical care was much different from the Allied Armies. In particular, patients who were in need of first aid were taken to a medical personnel known as a verwundetennest. And after receiving first aid the patients were then taken to the aid station known as truppenverbandplatz. Once stabilized, they were sent to the hauptverbandplatz while severe injuries like brain trauma, bone fractures, and chest wounds were sent to the kriegslazarett (military hospital).
Today’s Field Hospitals
Nowadays, field hospitals are not just made from canvas tents for there are also health facilities with modern equipment and sometimes, having a dual purpose. And the hygienic standards are always observed to allow patients to heal quickly and recuperate comfortably.
Also, some modern field hospitals also have intensive care unit (ICU), emergency rooms (ER), outpatient clinics, and laboratories where medical tests are being made. And they’re not just being used in times of war and natural disasters because field hospitals are being deployed for humanitarian reasons to address the medical needs of those who are living impoverished countries.
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