What was once a simple meadow on the grounds of the Malzfabrik in Berlin Tempelhof is now a fully functional operations camp and medical treatment center 24 hours later. In line with the specifications for EMTs, the camp has everything needed for power generation, water treatment, cooking and sanitation in order to be self-sufficient in a crisis region for two weeks without outside support. None of the international aid teams should put an additional strain on the resources of the country requesting support.

The EMT structure was created by the WHO in order to be able to send and coordinate qualitative and effective aid on request in an emergency. To this end, organizations worldwide are checked against minimum standards, which differ in their requirements for medical and technical care depending on the type of EMT. These range from small, mobile emergency teams to fully-fledged field hospitals with X-ray and operating theaters.

In addition to providing the best possible care for those affected by crises, wars and disasters, the focus is on improving cooperation between EMTs through a common standard. In order to achieve this standard, we have spent the last few months describing procedures and processes, training them and procuring the necessary materials for implementation. We are benefiting from the wealth of experience we have gained from our missions in recent years. We are also supported by mentors from the WHO, who provide us with valuable feedback.

We also had our dress rehearsal, the so-called pre-visit, with exactly these mentors. In an inspection lasting several hours, we presented our small tent city, from toilets to storage and sleeping tents for the team to the pharmacy and isolation tent.

The feedback from our mentors is good, but we need to rethink some things and make adjustments here and there – the patient toilet seems a bit rickety, for example. But there is still time for improvements. Overall, however, we seem to be slightly overshooting the EMT type 1 mobile target. The recommendation of our mentors: Double classification as type 1 mobile and fixed! So the new goal is clear. Even if that means a bit more work – we’re up for it!