Functioning of the medical supply system of the troops (force) during operation to restore the constitutional order in the Chechen Republic (1994–1996): lessons and conclusions

Abstract

The study presents the medical service activities in organizing the provision of troops (forces) with medical equipment during the operation to restore constitutional order in the Chechen Republic. To provide medical support to federal troops (forces), appropriate groupings of forces and medical services were created, functioning in three isolated areas. Thanks to the operational and professional work of military pharmaceutical specialists, a medical supply system was formed, involving the three main medical warehouses of the North Caucasus Military District. The paper also showed the work of medical supply units and institutions to provide federal troops (forces) with medical equipment. Issues of the functioning of the medical supply system, optimization of the composition of individual medical equipment of military personnel of the federal troops (forces), and peculiarities of storing medical equipment in the field were successfully resolved by involving the faculty of the Department of Military Medical Supply and Pharmacy of the Military Medical Academy of S.M. Kirov. Moreover, the paper presented the features of personnel provision and stages of medical evacuation with individual and group medical equipment, bags and sets of first aid, premedical, and medical kits. The system of supplying medical equipment to troops (forces) for special-purpose medical units operating in combat areas, evacuation centers, and military hospitals of the North Caucasus Military District was analyzed. Based on the medical support experience for the united grouping of troops (forces) during the operation to restore the constitutional order in the Chechen Republic, ways to improve the provision of complete equipment and technical medical service are proposed.