page_title: Hospital ship
section_title: Other shipborne hospitals
hierarchical_section_title: Hospital ship / Other shipborne hospitals
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Le BPC Dixmude (L9015) en autoposition dans la baie de Jounieh au Liban en 2012. nomenclature SIRPA Marine&#160;: 2012MPAR001 002 642English: The Landing Helicopter Dock Dixmude (L9015) in Jounieh bay, Lebanon
context_page_description: A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. In the nineteenth century redundant warships were used as moored hospitals for seamen.
  The Second Geneva Convention prohibits military attacks on hospital ships, though belligerent forces do have rights of inspection and may take injured enemy patients as prisoners of war.
context_section_description: It is common for naval ships, especially large ships such as aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships to have on-board hospitals. However, they are only one small part of the vessel's overall capability, and are used primarily for the ship's crew and its amphibious forces (and occasionally for relief missions). They do not qualify as "hospital ships", as they are not marked and designated as such, and as armed vessels they are disqualified from protection as a hospital ship under international law.
  Examples of these ships from various navies include;
   United States Navy
  Several classes of US Navy ships are equipped with on-board hospitals;
  Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier – USS Gerald R. Ford, first in the class, has an on-board hospital that includes a full lab, pharmacy, operating room, 3-bed intensive care unit, 2-bed emergency room, and 41-bed hospital ward, staffed by 11 medical officers and 30 hospital corpsmen.
  Nimitz-class aircraft carrier – Each carrier has a 53-bed hospital ward, a three-bed ICU, and acts as the hospital ship for the entire carrier strike group. In one year, the medical department of USS George Washington handled over 15,000 out-patient visits, drew almost 27,000 labs, filled almost 10,000 prescriptions, took about 2,300 x-rays and performed 65 surgical operations. There is not much variation among the ships of the class. The first ship, USS Nimitz has 53 beds, plus 3 ICU beds, and the last ship, USS George H.W. Bush has 51 beds, plus 3 ICU beds.
  Wasp-class amphibious assault ship (LHD) – These ships have 6 operating rooms, 14 ICU beds, 46 hospital beds, 4 battle dressing stations, medical imaging (i.e.:X-ray), a fully functional laboratory, and a blood bank. The ship can expand its medical complement to 600 beds, making it the second largest hospital at sea, second only to actual hospital ships.
  America-class amphibious assault ship (LHA) – This is the newest and largest class both in the USN and the world. However, the first two ships of the class, USS America and USS Tripoli, had the size of their medical facilities reduced, in favour of larger aviation facilities. The on-board hospitals of these first two vessels will have 2 operating rooms and 24 beds. It is unknown if this design change will affect the expanded capability for additional beds, nor what size the medical facilities of future ships of the class will be.
  San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock (LPD) – 24 hospital beds.
  Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship (LSD) – 11 hospital beds.
  Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship (LSD) – 8 hospital beds.
   Royal Navy
  Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Argus – This ship would be a hospital ship were it not for its armaments. However, it is instead designated as a 'Primary Casualty Receiving Ship' (PCRS).
   People's Liberation Army Navy
  Several armed Qiongsha-class cargo ships are fitted out as "ambulance transports".
  Shichang – a multi-role training ship built in 1997. Deck space can accommodate modular medical units and can be used as a medical treatment facility, but the primary role is aviation training. The layout is very similar to RFA Argus (see above).
   French Navy
  Mistral-class amphibious assault ship – On board hospital is NATO Echelon level-3, with 69 hospital beds, 7 ICU beds, and an additional 50 beds if needed. The ship also has medical imaging capabilities, such as X-ray, CT-scan and ultrasound.
   Italian Navy
  Cavour aircraft carrier – Has an on-board hospital with 2 operating room, 1 intensive care unit, laboratory, pharmacy and a 32-bed hospital ward.
  Etna logistic ship – On-board hospital is NATO ROLE-level 2+, with operating room, intensive care unit, laboratory.
   Argentine Navy
  ARA Almirante Irízar – Icebreaker which can be deployed as a hospital ship.
   Spanish Navy
  Juan Carlos I – Has a 40-bed hospital on board.
   Royal Australian Navy
  Canberra-class landing helicopter dock – This class is based on the Juan Carlos I-class design, and has 2 operating rooms and a hospital ward.
   Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
  Izumo-class helicopter destroyer – These ships have
caption: Dixmude, a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship
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