Malteser and Bundeswehr Intensify Cooperation in Medical Service

Malteser Hilfsdienst (MHD) and the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) are expanding their cooperation by signing a treaty for a privileged partnership in the medical service sector. Johanniter Unfall-Hilfe (JUH) is also a signatory to this agreement.

The treaty aims to enhance the medical service capabilities of the Bundeswehr, particularly in scenarios involving national and alliance defense. Recent security policy developments have highlighted that the Bundeswehr's medical resources could be heavily strained, necessitating long-term support from JUH and MHD.

Albrecht Prinz von Croy, Vice President of MHD, emphasized the importance of the cooperation and the principle of voluntary participation. He stated that legislation needs to be quickly enacted to regulate the release of employees by employers for service, similar to the provisions for the Technical Relief Agency (THW) and fire departments.

The partnership also entails the conclusion of public law contracts between the German Ministry of Defence and JUH/MHD. These contracts will define the fundamental aspects of support, deployment tasks, and rules of conduct for personnel involved. Furthermore, it is crucial to ensure that the welfare and rights of the deployed volunteers are at least on par with those of the soldiers.

Malteser previously participated as part of a patient transport group in the QUADRIGA 2026 exercise, demonstrating their commitment to national and international security. This collaboration is expected to strengthen civil-military cooperation.