'Fighting on the front line in Ukraine is just as bloody now as when Russia’s full-scale war began four years ago. Norway’s efforts to evacuate the wounded are a cornerstone of Europe’s Medevac support to Ukraine. Many countries have capacity for hospital treatment, but not suitable transport options. Norway’s cooperation with the EU helps ensure that the capacity available in hospitals across Europe is used in a coordinated and effective way, thereby easing the burden on the Ukrainian healthcare system,' says Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

Central role

Norway plays a central role in the medical evacuation of patients from Ukraine. Since August 2022, Norway has been the only country to offer regular weekly flights to European countries to evacuate Ukrainian patients. Through nearly 200 flight operations, a total of 2,850 patients have been evacuated from Ukraine. Of these, 512 have received treatment at Norwegian hospitals.

The medical evacuation of Ukrainian patients is a cooperative effort involving several ministries, the regional health authorities, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Armed Forces, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), and the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB).

'I am proud of the efforts made by personnel from the Armed Forces over several years to help address the enormous challenges facing the Ukrainian healthcare system. The war is hitting Ukraine brutally, and every individual who can be evacuated and offered medical care means a great deal to that person and is important in the bigger picture. I am also pleased that, through this work, we have gained considerable experience and lessons in civil-military health cooperation, including in the treatment of war-wounded patients,' says Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik.

Learning from Ukraine

The European Commission has described the scheme as a central pillar in the work on medical evacuations of Ukrainian patients through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).

'We are one of the countries that has received the highest number of patients from Ukraine through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. We have also entered into a health partnership with Ukraine to strengthen healthcare cooperation between our countries. This cooperation benefits both countries. We can learn a great deal from Ukraine in areas such as how to organise a health service during wartime,' says Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre.

Norway receives medevac patients following a specific assessment of treatment capacity at Norwegian hospitals and the individual patient’s needs. Patients are first transported out of Ukraine by the Ukrainian authorities to a medical hub in Poland or directly to the plane. From there, they are evacuated onward—mainly by the SAS aircraft that the Armed Forces have a contingency agreement to use—to hospitals around Europe for treatment.

The patients are of all age groups, and many are accompanied by relatives. War injuries and cancer make up the largest diagnostic groups, but there are also patients with other conditions. Norway’s support for medical evacuation from Ukraine is mentioned in the security agreement signed by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May 2024.

Civil-military cooperation

A long-term agreement between the Armed Forces and SAS makes it possible to convert an ordinary passenger aircraft into an air ambulance with stretcher and intensive care beds. SAS operates and flies the aircraft, while the Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services are responsible for the medical and operational aspects. In this work, the private sector, civilian authorities and military authorities are working together in an important effort.

'We need even more civil-military cooperation, where agencies and ministries from many sectors work together to solve complex tasks. Such cooperation is also crucial for Norway to be able to deliver this important contribution to Europe’s civilian support to Ukraine. Medevac is a good example of an area where this cooperation works very well,' says Minister of Justice and Public Security Astri Aas-Hansen.

Over several years, Norway has built up significant expertise in medical evacuation from several different countries. This valuable experience has contributed to stronger civil-military cooperation, which is now also benefiting NATO, where Norway is leading work on the development of medical evacuation.