The Ministry of National Defence's new project, the Medical Legion, has received a very strong public response. According to available information, the number of people willing to join the civilian health service reserves has exceeded five thousand. The Ministry of National Defence admits that interest has exceeded the ministry's expectations. The initiative aims to prepare medical backup in case of threats, including those related to armed conflict. Simultaneously, a slower process of creating territorial medical services under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration is underway.
Record interest in the project
Over five thousand volunteers have signed up for the recently created Medical Legion. The Ministry of National Defence admits that this number surprised the organizers and is higher than initially assumed. Recruitment has been suspended due to the need to verify applications.
Formation for civilian reserves
The Medical Legion is a Ministry of National Defence initiative aimed at creating civilian personnel reserves in the health service. The formation is to be ready to act in the event of serious crises, such as a pandemic or armed conflict. Volunteers are to be trained in providing first aid and medical assistance under threat conditions.
Parallel MSWiA program
In addition to the Ministry of National Defence's Medical Legion, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration is running its own program to create territorial medical services. This process, as sources indicate, is progressing more slowly than recruitment for the defense project. The reasons are said to be a more extensive legislative procedure and coordination with local governments.
Context of security threats
The creation of medical reserves is intended to be a response to ongoing security threats in the region, particularly in connection with the war in Ukraine. In the assessment of experts, there is a real risk of conflict escalation, which requires preparing society and infrastructure for various crisis scenarios.
The Ministry of National Defence has registered a massive response to its new initiative, the Medical Legion. According to information from the Wprost portal, over five thousand volunteers have signed up for the formation intended to serve as civilian medical backup in case of a crisis. The ministry admits that interest has clearly exceeded the organizers' expectations. As a result, recruitment has been temporarily suspended to allow for the verification of incoming applications and the preparation of appropriate training logistics. The Medical Legion is tasked with training doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other healthcare-related personnel in providing aid under threat conditions, such as disasters or military actions. The concept of creating civilian or paramilitary auxiliary formations in crisis situations has a long tradition in many countries. In Poland, contemporary attempts to establish them intensified after the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022, which highlighted the need to increase societal resilience and prepare non-military structures for various threat scenarios. Parallel to the Ministry of National Defence's actions, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration is leading the process of creating territorial medical services. As reported by Rzeczpospolita, work on this program is progressing more slowly. The reasons cited are a more complicated legislative path and the necessity for closer cooperation with local government units, which will be responsible for the functioning of these services in the regions. This difference in the pace of action between the ministries indicates the priority that the Ministry of National Defence places on quickly building reserves ready for immediate use in a threat situation. ponad 5000 — applications to the Medical Legion The initiative fits into the broader context of Poland's defense preparations in light of the prolonged war beyond its eastern border. Security experts emphasize that the conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated the crucial importance of an efficient medical evacuation system and hospital backup. The Medical Legion is intended to be one element of strengthening the so-called resilience of the state. In the media, the initiative is presented as a response to potential threats emanating from Russia. The growing involvement of citizens in defense projects may also indicate a shift in social awareness regarding the necessity of personal preparation for a crisis.