So what roles do medics  perform in SOTR1949? To start with, they are optional members of a platoon command squad. Note that term "optional". The player can judge based on the mission whether a shooter or field medic is more important. There is no cost to upgrade a member of the command squad to a medic so having one is a tactical decision.

The medic is a loner and not constrained by unit coherency rules. The command squad in toto does not have to jog back to work on casualties, pulling the platoon leader out of the action.

Having a medic within 2 inches (5.08 cm!) allows the wounded soldier the benefit of a -1 to the die roll on his Down test. This benefit is not limited to one model so you can run an aid station of sorts if in a defensive position since you can drag casualties back to a medic's location (as long as the soldier moving the casualty stays within squad coherency).

Furthermore, if a medic is within 6 inches of a casualty (15 cm) the squad can break coherency with the model and continue its mission. If the soldier recovers, that model then moves towards the squad's new location or may be ordered to Form Up with another nearby unit by an officer model in range to do so.

So in SOTR1949, medic models not only look cool, they have viable battlefield roles which are ignored by the player at his peril!