China’s military tests nurses in nighttime island landing simulation
- More than 300 nurses took part in training on a boat simulator, administering intravenous medication in near-complete darkness with waves of 2 metres
- PLA is also developing a new digital health monitor for troops to wear that uses AI to decide who gets treated first and guide the nearest medic to them
More than 300 nurses from an unspecified military hospital took part in the first round of training from July 2020 to February this year – the first time the PLA has conducted this type of simulation exercise for nurses.
Its Joint Logistics Support Force said the nurses had to administer medication via an intravenous line in near-complete darkness in a simulation of a nighttime combat scenario at sea, with waves of 2 metres (6.5ft).
“There would be insufficient light and turbulent waves in a combat environment when crossing the sea and landing on an island, which makes it risky to perform intravenous infusion, but also affects follow-up treatment of the wounded and sick,” a team led by Jiao Wei from the logistics support force wrote in the Chinese-language Military Medical Journal of Southeast China last month.
“In information-based modern warfare, marine medical rescue and evacuation is challenged by a more complex environment … simulation training can recreate the ship’s environment to a certain extent, so that nursing staff can adapt to the special environment at sea.”
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PLA tests its amphibious combat capability during beach-landing drill on China’s southeastern coast