Since the summer of 2025, the French healthcare system has been in a state of heightened preparation for a possible mass influx of wounded in the event of a large-scale armed conflict on the European continent. This is according to official documents from the French Ministry of Health, sent to regional health agencies back in July 2025.
According to a letter dated July 18, 2025, signed under the supervision of Health Minister Catherine Vautrin, the country’s hospitals must be prepared for a “major military deployment” scenario by March 2026. These plans consider France as a “rear base” for the reception and treatment of wounded military personnel, both French and from NATO and EU allies.
The document predicts a possible influx of 10,000 to 50,000 wounded over a period of 10 to 180 days. At peak times, the healthcare system must be able to handle up to 100-250 patients per day for several months. Attention is given to the creation of special medical centers near airports, ports, and major transport hubs to facilitate the onward evacuation of foreign troops to their home countries.
The Ministry emphasizes that these are preventative precautions, not an indication of the inevitability of war. Preparations are being conducted in close coordination with the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces Health Service (Service de santé des armées). Hospitals are required to consider “wartime constraints,” including potential resource shortages, the need for triage, and the repurposing of departments for the mass admission of severe trauma cases.
Preparations are currently ongoing: exercises are being conducted, protocols for the mass admission of casualties are being updated, and medical personnel are being intensified in their training for war-related trauma. While no immediate military escalation has been officially announced, the tone of the documents and the chosen timeframe are causing serious concern both in France and abroad.