Under the blue tents: inside a field hospital simulation

12 August 2025

The scorching Yogyakarta sun shone down on the open field in Kulon Progo, Special Region of Yogyakarta, as rows of blue tents filled the area, transforming the space into a fully functioning field hospital. Inside, Muhammadiyah Emergency Medical Team (EMT) ran the facility, checking blood pressure, coordinating triage, handling patients with trauma cases and mental health conditions, all part of a simulation that mirrored the pressure of real-world disaster response.

Held from 9 to 10 July 2025, the exercise marked a significant milestone in Muhammadiyah EMT’s ongoing journey towards classification under the World Health Organization’s EMT initiative, a global classification system to ensure that medical teams deployed in emergencies meet international standards for quality, accountability and self-sufficiency.

Supported by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), with International Search and Rescue (ISAR) Germany as peer learning team, and closely coordinated with the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Indonesia and the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO), the two-day field simulation put every aspect of Muhammadiyah EMT’s operations to the test.

This activity is part of the broader EMT capacity strengthening in Indonesia supported through the project “Continued Strengthening of Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Readiness, Response and Coordination in the Indo-Pacific,” funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It reflects Indonesia’s active role within the regional, ASEAN and global EMT network, ensuring that communities receive timely, effective, and well-coordinated emergency health services in any future crisis.

Photos and words by Fieni Aprilia, Digital Communications Officer, WHO Indonesia

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
The activity began with a logistics visit to the Muhammadiyah EMT warehouse to assess deployment readiness and storage where WHO WPRO and ISAR Germany provided feedback on logistics management.

Logistics check

The activity began with a logistics visit to the Muhammadiyah EMT warehouse to assess deployment readiness and storage where WHO WPRO and ISAR Germany provided feedback on logistics management.

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
At sunrise, Muhammadiyah EMT set up the Type 1 Fixed field hospital, a facility built to provide daytime outpatient care, manage trauma and non-trauma cases, and support community-based primary care.

Early start

At sunrise, Muhammadiyah EMT set up the Type 1 Fixed field hospital, a facility built to provide daytime outpatient care, manage trauma and non-trauma cases, and support community-based primary care.

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
Anjir Field in Kulon Progo was selected for the simulation exercise due to its open space, large enough to accommodate the full field hospital setup for the EMT type 1 Fixed.

Remote location

Anjir Field in Kulon Progo was selected for the simulation exercise due to its open space, large enough to accommodate the full field hospital setup for the EMT type 1 Fixed.

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
WHO Indonesia, WHO WPRO, Muhammadiyah EMT, and ISAR Germany teams engage in an on-site coordination meeting during the simulation.

Routine coordination

WHO Indonesia, WHO WPRO, Muhammadiyah EMT, and ISAR Germany teams engage in an on-site coordination meeting during the simulation.

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
WHO WPRO provided technical feedback on the organization of medical equipment at the resuscitation tent.

In-depth technical feedback

WHO WPRO provided technical feedback on the organization of medical equipment at the resuscitation tent. In an actual disaster setting, the resuscitation tent is an important space for stabilizing patients with life-threatening injuries before further treatment.

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
Unlike other field hospital simulations, Muhammadiyah EMT’s exercise offered half a day of free medical services.

Serving the community

Unlike other field hospital simulations, Muhammadiyah EMT’s exercise offered half a day of free medical services. This allowed the team to test their SOPs in a live setting, including crowd management, patient flow, triage and treatment procedures – while providing real care to residents from the neighbourhood.

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
Around forty patients received free medical services during the exercise, with complaints ranging from the common cold to back pain from field work.

Fully functional facility

Around forty patients received free medical services during the exercise, with complaints ranging from the common cold to back pain from field work. Although the simulation focused on disaster readiness, the services delivered real benefits to the local community.

High-pressure simulation

After the field hospital closed its doors to the public, the real high-pressure simulation began. Volunteers from Muhammadiyah EMT, WHO Indonesia, WHO WPRO and observers from other EMTs in Indonesia took on the roles of incoming patients, testing the team’s rapid response under pressure.

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
Mental health and psychosocial support capacities were also put to the test. The simulation closely reenacted the full process from patient reception to appropriate communication.

Caring for mental health

Mental health and psychosocial support capacities were also put to the test. The simulation closely re-enacted the full process from patient reception to appropriate communication, ensuring that mental health cases are handled with care in emergency settings.

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
With only three cots, the resuscitation tent was quickly overwhelmed during the surge. Teams adapted fast, utilizing nearby spaces to accommodate extra patients, just like they would in a real crisis.

Quick adaptation

With only three cots, the resuscitation tent was quickly overwhelmed during the surge. Teams adapted fast, utilizing nearby spaces to accommodate extra patients, just like they would in a real crisis.

WHO/Fieni Aprilia
One of the most serious scenarios in the exercise involved a simulated patient in cardiac arrest.

Worst case scenario

One of the most serious scenarios in the exercise involved a simulated patient in cardiac arrest.