- The purpose of the activity was to test the capacity of the rapid response teams of the region’s assistance network after two years in which efforts focused on combating and controlling the Covid-19 pandemic.
- PAHO/WHO participated as observers in the exercise together with the delegations of the Ministries of Health of Peru, Paraguay and Brazil.
Aysén Region – Chile, November 28, 2022 (PAHO/WHO).- The Aysén Region was the scenario chosen to carry out the Public Health Emergency Simulation (SPII) on November 24. Activity led by the Minister of Health, Dr. Ximena Aguilera, together with the Undersecretary of Public Health, Dr. Cristóbal Cuadrado, and a PAHO/WHO team. Exercise in which delegations from the Ministries of Health of Brazil, Paraguay and Peru participated as observers, together with sectoral authorities.
The activity organized by PAHO/WHO Chile and the Ministry of Health was carried out with the objective of testing the regional response capacity and compliance with international health regulations for this type of situation. The following participated in the exercise: personnel from the Aysén Health Seremi, officials from the Aysén Health Service, the Aysén Presidential Delegation, the National Emergency Office (ONEMI), the Chilean Navy, the Agricultural and Livestock Service, the National Customs Service, the Investigative Police, Chilean Police, the National Tourism Service, the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics and the Port Captaincy, who were trained prior to the simulation exercise, an activity that included the participation of Dr. Ana de la Garza, PAHO International Consultant and expert in Epidemiology.
The SPII Emergency Drill began with a fictitious scenario with the convening of a Committee for Risk and Disaster Management (COGRID) that brought together authorities after two Public Health alerts registered in the area, one of them at the Aerodrome of Balmaceda and another, in the Port of Chacabuco that could put the population at risk and that activated the rapid response teams and all the services.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Ximena Aguilera valued the exercise and maintained that “the balance is very good, both due to the intersectoral work and the authorities of the region, Navy, Carabineros, ONEMI, DGAC and all those who participated in this exercise that is a way to resume the preparation and response to these emergencies that we have to do in all regions.”
The highest health authority added that after the emergency we have experienced in the last three years, we have the “need to continue working on preparing for and responding to these crises. This exercise is a way of resuming the preparation for these emergencies that we have to do in all regions.”
For his part, the Undersecretary of Public Health, Dr. Cristóbal Cuadrado, remarked that during the simulation “we have been able to test the response capacities of our health authority in the framework of a simulation in which multiple institutions participate, which is What should be highlighted is that there is a comprehensive response as a government to be able to respond to probable or possible public health emergencies where all the institutions involved must be able to fine-tune all the processes”.
In this same sense, the Seremi de Salud of the Aysén region, Carmen Monsalve highlighted the coordination achieved in this activity, and the sectorial collaboration. “After an intense day, we had the opportunity to provide feedback on those instances that are possible to improve in favor of the population, where coordination with the intersector stood out, and for this reason it is important to thank and recognize all those who worked and supported this drill” , expressed the seremi.
To which he added “Here everyone collaborated to develop this drill properly, we took several tasks and opportunities to improve, but the most remarkable thing is the possibility of being able to articulate to protect the health of the Aysén communities in the face of a health emergency public”, added the seremi.
For his part, the director(s) of the Aysén Health Service, Mauricio Cortés, emphasized the response of the healthcare network in the drill. “We arrived in a timely manner both in Balmaceda and Puerto Chacabuco through our mobile emergency care services, we arrived at the Aysén and Coyhaique hospitals in a very good way, the care was adequate,” he said, adding that “the important thing to highlight it is that we are aware of the improvement opportunities that arose and we will work to correct them”.
Meanwhile, the regional presidential delegate of Aysén, Rodrigo Araya, highlighted the implementation of these exercises. “It is important for our region, which has a greater number of both national and international visits, therefore, health emergencies are within the possible horizon and allow us to test the services, the connection between the different public services that have to do with an emergency.
closing of activity
The International Advisor on Health Systems and Services of PAHO/WHO Chile, Dr. Mario Cruz, expressed his satisfaction with the capacity for intersectoral coordination and appreciated “the willingness that colleagues from other countries could be part of this exercise.” Along with this, he stressed the importance of “strengthening intersectoral work and the vision that every emergency requires the gaze and expertise of the entire state apparatus.”
Along these lines, the head of the Department of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Christian García, highlighted that “what we have seen is that when we enter this usual round of work, we act in a certain way on automatic pilot and this is a opportunity to make a small disruption and to review those processes where what we do begins to influence other sectors, other people and other jobs”. The MINSAL professional highlighted the attitude and prompt response with which the exercise was carried out “that speaks volumes about how quickly it was coordinated, it implies that processes can be generated and triggered at different levels,” he emphasized.