Mobile field hospital donated by Iceland operational in Ukraine

The mobile field hospital, which Alþingi, the Icelandic Parliament, decided in the spring to donate to the Ukrainian people, has arrived in Ukraine and is operational. The total cost of the project amounted to EUR 7.4 million, or approximately ISK 1.1 billion. The mobile field hospital is an important contribution and is useful in caring for wounded soldiers and civilians near the battlefield.

"We are particularly pleased to be able to support our friends in Ukraine directly with this contribution. The cooperation with Estonia and Germany in this project has been exemplary and we are pleased to know that the hospital will be useful in saving lives and help to alleviate the suffering of those wounded in the nation's legitimate defence against the Russian invading forces," says Bjarni Benediktsson, Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The hospital consists of ten container units that form a fully equipped hospital that can be run independently and without support for days. The units can be arranged as needed at any given time and linked to other similar hospitals. The field hospital includes fully equipped operating rooms, intensive care rooms, a reception and diagnostic unit, support units with generators, oxygen press, disinfection facilities, toilet and bath and laundry facilities as well as specialized storage spaces.

The capacity of the hospital is significant, as it has berths for 40 patients at any one time and can treat 240 patients per day and up to 24 seriously injured. The hospital's container units are then transported from place to place on specially equipped military trucks, donated by the German military for the project.

The project was carried out in close collaboration with Estonia where the hospitals were designed and manufactured. The Estonian military was also responsible for training the Ukrainians running the hospital. Previously, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany had donated similar hospitals in collaboration with Estonia, that can be interlinked as needed.