The Puerto Rico Medical Center, through the Medical Services Administration (ASEM), held a drill on Wednesday, November 11 to test its ability to identify, isolate and treat patients with high-consequence infectious diseases such as Ebola. ASEM executive director Regino Colón Alsina said the exercise assessed institutional capabilities, reviewed clinical and operational protocols, identified areas for improvement and strengthened staff training.
Preparing for a public health emergency cannot be improvised
He said it is part of the institution’s preventive planning and does not respond to any suspected or confirmed case in Puerto Rico, and noted that ASEM has rules-and-procedures manuals in all its departments, continuing education programs and mandatory staff drills. "Preparing for a public health emergency cannot be improvised," Colón Alsina said. The exercise was coordinated by Sandra Carpio, director of the Caribbean office of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
La Fortaleza secretary Norma Burgos also took part. Health Secretary Víctor M. Ramos Otero said responding to such diseases requires planning, interagency coordination and specialized capacity, and tied the effort to Governor Jenniffer González Colón’s commitment to protecting public health. Colón Alsina also said ASEM was selected by the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) to receive up to $500,000 through the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS) Level 2 STAND awards, to strengthen infrastructure, buy specialized equipment, improve clinical and laboratory readiness, train staff, develop protocols and run response exercises.