PLA to conduct first real-combat medical services drill

A medical services exercise will be held later this month at Zhurihe training base in north China's Inner Mongolia, announced the General Logistics Department (GLD) of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday.

A red team and a blue team will simulate combat circumstances while 13 medical units from the PLA army, navy and air forces will compete against each other in providing medical services.

Some 1,000 military vehicles and aircraft and 4,000 troops will participate in the drill, said Ren Guoquan, head of the GLD medical division, adding the exercise will be very much like a real war.

It is the first time a medical services drill has been held under real-combat circumstances, said Ren. Exercise contents include battlefield rescue, emergency surgery, medical and relief supplies airdrops.