A regional collaboration drill on health response to disasters opened in the central coastal city of Da Nang on March 26, gathering ten ASEAN state members and representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Ten emergency medical teams were involved in the second regional collaboration drill in Da Nang city. 

The event, jointly held by the Da Nang municipal People’s Committee, JICA and Thailand’s National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM), is part of a project on strengthening ASEAN’s regional capacity on disaster health management. Vietnam and nine other ASEAN states have proactively joined in the project since 2015, with the aim of enhancing the cooperation mechanism on health in disaster response across the region.

Speaking at the opening of the drill, Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan said that Vietnam stands ready to cooperate with the other ASEAN member states in medical response to natural calamities in the region. Participating in international drills will enable Vietnamese medical management agencies to improve their professional capacity in case of natural disasters, he added.

Senior Representative of JICA Vietnam Office Nozomi Iwama said that the rehearsal aims to bolster cooperation among the medical forces in case of an emergency. Through the project, JICA will obtain specific feedback and develop a regional cooperation mechanism for health emergencies in response to natural disasters.

The rehearsal aims to enhance the cooperation mechanism on health in disaster response across the region.

Head of Da Nang Health Department Ngo Thi Kim Yen said that the coastal city is vulnerable to natural disasters. Therefore, cooperation in disaster recovery and health in disaster response is crucial.

The exercises are being held from March 26-28, based on a hypothetical scenario in which a powerful hurricane has hit the central coastal region of Vietnam, causing heavy casualties to people and damage to property in Da Nang, Quang Nam province and the other neighbouring localities. Health facilities have been devastated and can’t meet the needs of victims, especially in isolated areas. Da Nang and Quang Nam report to the Government and the Ministry of Health for support.

Under the direction of the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls for humanitarian aid from the ASEAN members through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management. Ten emergency medical teams (EMTs) from ASEAN and Japan are sent to the site to join together with the medical staff in Da Nang and Quang Nam to set up mobile medical stations in order to save the victims.

Nhan Dan