A hospital at sea – contract for the i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum concluded

The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr) will equip the German Navy with a new integrated Mobile Naval Surgical Hospital (i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum) aboard the Combat Support Ship (CSS) “Berlin”. By concluding the contract on 30 March 2023, Vice-President of BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr, Annette Lehnigk-Emden, and Managing Director of German Naval Yard Kiel GmbHGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, Rino Brugge, have given the go-ahead.

Construction of the mobile surgical hospital

So far, medical care has been provided in a Mobile Naval Surgical Hospital (MERZMarine Einsatzrettungszentrum) built exclusively from containers. However, the new integrated Mobile Naval Surgical Hospital (i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum) ensures significantly improved medical treatment, replacing the existing system.

Upon conclusion of the contract, construction work on the i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum will begin immediately. The installation of the i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum on board the CSS “Berlin” is scheduled for April 2024, after a construction phase on land of approximately one year. The CSS “Berlin” is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance work anyway, so that the integration of the mobile surgical hospital will not lead to an extension of the shipyard period.

This second part of the project will take about two to three months. The integration will be completed once the i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum is connected to the on-board power supply system, making it an integral part of the ship. After such integration and after the maintenance work has been finished, the CSS “Berlin”, including the i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum, can be put to sea again.

A hospital on the high seas

For our soldiers at sea, the i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum provides comprehensive initial treatment in the field of accident surgery and intensive care.

In order to ensure this level of care, two operating rooms, an X-ray room, a dental department, various laboratories and state-of-the-art medical technology will be installed among other things. 

As in a medical facility on land, the individual areas are arranged around one corridor. The patient beds are located on the floor below.

In addition to the rooms themselves, the furnishings of the individual rooms and the associated equipment are also crucial. Space is of great importance on a ship. That is why anesthesia machines built in a space-saving design are part of the operational room inventory.

With this equipment, the severity of the injury or illness can already be assessed properly on board and treatment can be initiated. Therefore, the i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum is fully operational. Almost like a real hospital, that is, but on the high seas.

The CSS fleet ensures supply during operations

Following the successful installation of an i-MERZintegriertes Marine Einsatzrettungszentrum on the CSS “Frankfurt am Main”, the CSS “Berlin” is now the second ship of the fleet to receive state-of-the-art medical technology for the troops on site in the form of the integrated Mobile Naval Surgical Hospital.

With more than 20.000 displacement tons per ship, the CSSs are the German Navy’s largest vessels. They not only provide medical support to the operational units at sea, but also supply them with fuel, food, materiel and ammunition.

by Gunther Brückner