National Workshop: Civil-Military Cooperation and Crisis Preparedness in the Healthcare Sector
Date and time: 12th and 13th of November 2025 from 9 AM-5 PM - EPIC11 National Workshop
Venue: LaSpa Conference Centre, Laulasmaa, Estonia.
This National Workshop is organised and hosted by the Health Board of Estonia and the Estonian Defence Forces, with full support from the EPIC11 project.
The National Workshop will bring together key stakeholders from Estonia's healthcare and civil protection, and military systems to strengthen collaboration in All-Hazard Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPR) planning, particularly in the context of military conflict. Discussions will also support the implementation of the EU Health Security Framework (HSF), with a specific focus on Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 on Serious Cross-Border Threats to Health.
Specific objectives
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Present an overview of Estonia's current preparedness plans and security context and promote greater coherence and coordination between civilian and military in terms of preparedness plans in healthcare.
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Conduct a tabletop exercise based on a military conflict scenario, aiming at testing regional preparedness plans, including procedures for the evacuation of hospitals and healthcare institutions.
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Communicate clear state expectations to healthcare leaders regarding preparation for military conflict and collaboration with the Defence Forces' medical services.
The workshop will be conducted in person, in Estonian, with a few selected sessions delivered in English online (by international speakers).
The event will serve as a platform to advance a shared understanding of Estonia's regional medical preparedness plans, enhance civil-military cooperation within the healthcare sector, promote both strategic and operational readiness for crises, and strengthen national resilience through cross-sectoral engagement and coordinated planning.
Programme
This two-day workshop will combine strategic-level presentations, peer learning from international experiences, interactive discussions, and scenario-based group exercises. Participants will explore Estonia's national security and defence planning, with a particular focus on civil-military cooperation in the healthcare sector. This format will enable participants to deepen their understanding of the evolving security context and the importance of integrated civil-military healthcare planning. It will also provide a platform for identifying long-term gaps and priorities to enhance Estonia's health security and crisis resilience.
The programme will include lessons learned from Ukraine's wartime healthcare response, an overview of Estonia's regional medical preparedness plans, and a tabletop exercise to identify gaps and strengthen coordination. The final day will feature a field visit and wrap-ups. A detailed agenda will be shared with registered participants ahead of the event.
After the worskhop, on 14th november, the local team will organise a follow-up field visit1 to be offered to workshop participants (more information will be shared by local team after confirmation of participants' registration).
Key topics covered
Day 1: Strategic context and national security planning
12 Nov, 9:00-17:00
- Global and EU-level security trends, with inputs from NATO and EU representatives
- Estonia's national security and defence strategy
- Civil-military roles and responsibilities in national healthcare defence
- Linkages between strategic awareness and tactical healthcare planning
Day 2: Lessons learned and tabletop exercise
13 Nov, 9:00-17:00
- Insights from the Ukrainian healthcare response to wartime challenges
- Overview of Estonia's regional medical preparedness plans
- Tabletop exercise simulating a military conflict scenario
- Group work to identify practical solutions and lessons for plan improvement
- Final reflection, key takeaways, and wrap-up of the workshop
Day 3: Field visit
14 Nov, 9:00-13:00
- Field visit organised by local team.
Participants
This workshop will bring together approximately 50 invited participants from across Estonia's healthcare and emergency sectors. Participants will include senior representatives from hospitals, ambulance services, primary care, the medical units of the Estonian Defence Forces, the Estonian Supply Centre, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the State Agency of Medicines, the Health Insurance Fund, the private healthcare sector, and the State Chancellery. Attendance is by invitation only. All travel, accommodation, and catering costs will be covered for the eligible participants for the 2 days' workshop. Field visit on the 14th of November will be organised and funded by local team.
Preparatory materials
In advance of the workshop, confirmed participants will receive key preparatory documents including:
- National crises plan for healthcare emergencies
- Hospital requirements for trauma patient admission within 24 hours
- Regulation of healthcare crises (Levels 1–3)
- Estonia’s Emergency Act
About EPIC11 project
The EPIC11 project is funded by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and supported by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) and focuses on the provision of Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPR) trainings under Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Serious Cross-Border Threats to Health (SCBTH). The project aims to enhance preparedness capabilities across the EU and EEA countries to better respond to future health emergencies of EU concern through the development and implementation of a comprehensive EU health preparedness training programme for health specialists and through creating platforms for targeted knowledge exchange across borders and sectors within countries and internationally (Article 11 SCBTH).
