The Military Medical Academy in Łódź will be reborn after more than 2 decades to become a pillar of the construction of medical troops and to increase the medical safety capabilities of the Polish Army. The government adopted a bill that assumes the launch of the facility on 1 July, and the first students are to appear at the latest in the academic year 2027/2028.
– What we announced becomes a fact – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence, after the Council of Ministers meeting, about the bill on the creation of Military Medical Academy in Łódź. The head of the MON stressed that the ministry would do anything to guarantee that this process was carried out as efficiently as possible. The facility is expected to start operations on July 1st this year, and the first students are expected to appear at the latest in the academic year 2027/2028.
WAM was liquidated in 2002 and merged with the civilian Medical Academy in Łódź, creating the Medical University. The restoration of the military college was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister in May 2024. In March, Cezary Tomczyk, Deputy Minister of National Defence, informed about about PLN 400 million allocated for this purpose.
The reactivation of WAM is part of a strategical task to build medical troops – a fresh kind of force to integrate the structures liable for wellness protection in the army. – Last year in September I made a decision to form medical troops.. The medicine of the battlefield, tactical medicine, experiences from Ukraine make us very much to invest in the construction of medical troops and military wellness services," the Minister of Defence stressed.
As Kosiniak-Kamish explained, present the military wellness strategy remains scattered. There are separate cells in the MON structures, including department liable for wellness care and verticals in the General Command of Armed Forces Types. At the same time, there is simply a network of military hospitals and specialised institutes, including Military Medical Institute in Warsawwhich is simply a clinical and technological background.
– We have the best doctors, excellent staff and technological achievements. It works well – said the head of the MON. “Our ambition is to have a military infirmary in all province, and for this we request medical personnel,” the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out. He added that as many doctors, nurses and paramedics as possible should be trained to be ready to support the military strategy in the event of imminent emergency, and in peace they served all patients.
Reactivation of WAM is intended to solve the problem of shortage of trained medical personnel prepared to operate under military conditions. Ultimately, the university is to educate 800–1200 students simultaneously and scope 250–350 graduates per year. The university will educate medical personnel for military service, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and pharmacists. Her graduates, as the ministry announces, will be able to participate in global military missions, among others.
At the request of the Minister of the Interior and Administration, it was decided that the scope of WAM's activities would besides include training of services subordinate to the Ministry. This means that the university will prepare staff not only for the military, but besides for police, fire brigade or another formations liable for the interior safety of the state. The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that their preparation and training for both peace and war must be of the highest level.
“Training, especially paramedics, will be an crucial component of a modern approach to the battlefield,” Kosiniak-Kamish stressed. He added that having officers, abilities and skills not only in the field of medicine, but besides in matters related to military service, is an absolute precedence for WAM.
MON hopes that the bill will be rapidly passed by Parliament. The pace of work will have a direct impact on the timetable for the establishment of the university.
