The Ministry of Health of Peru carried out a National Simulation for Major Disaster Response on April 1, aiming to evaluate the health sector’s ability to respond to intense rainfall and related hazards associated with the Coastal El Niño phenomenon.
The simulation took place at the auditorium of the National Institute of Child Health – San Borja. It involved members of the Disaster Risk Management Working Group from the ministry, including general directors and technical teams, who practiced emergency protocols for level 4 and 5 incidents.
During this exercise, participants simulated critical situations such as activating alerts, caring for victims, maintaining health service operations, managing resources, and coordinating both nationally and internationally during emergencies. These scenarios were designed to analyze key processes needed during disasters.
Fanny Berenice Ortiz Deza, director general of Digerd (the Directorate General for Disaster Risk Management and National Defense in Health), said: “Este tipo de simulaciones nos permite identificar oportunidades de mejora y consolidar nuestras capacidades como sector, asegurando una respuesta eficiente y oportuna en beneficio de la población.”
The event was conducted in a hybrid format using SIMEX platform managed by the National Institute of Civil Defense (Indeci), which allowed technical teams to participate remotely and provided a comprehensive evaluation of coordination mechanisms.
According to organizers, this national simulation is part of current regulations from PCM (Presidency of Council Ministers) and is intended not only to test high-level response capabilities against El Niño Costero but also ensure that established protocols are executed precisely. The ministry says these efforts reaffirm its commitment to prevention and national safety.
