MoH to prepare measures for faster response during emergency health crises

2026-03-30 - 13:11

The Ministry of Health (MoH) conducted a Health Emergency Management training and Simulation Exercise to strengthen Bhutan’s preparedness and response to public health emergencies. The training comes in the wake of recent health challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Nipah virus threat, which exposed gaps in emergency response and coordination. It brought together health officials and representatives from relevant agencies to improve coordination and response during crisis, such as disease outbreaks and natural disasters. The training focused on the functioning of the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC), the country’s central coordination hub for managing public health emergencies, and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). The SOP is a set of step-by-step guidelines that clearly define how officials should respond during an emergency, including who is responsible for what actions and how different teams should coordinate. A key component of the training was a simulation exercise, where participants were placed in realistic emergency scenarios, such as disease outbreaks and natural disasters. This allowed them to test decision-making, coordination, and response systems in real time, helping assess how well existing plans work in practice. The exercise provided an opportunity for officials to review the SOPs developed for the HEOC, assessing their strengths while identifying gaps and areas that require improvement to ensure effective implementation during actual emergencies. While participants acknowledged progress in developing national-level emergency management plans aligned with the World Health Organization framework, they stressed that existing systems need to be strengthened at the operational level. A major concern raised was the lack of clear coordination and communication mechanisms. Participants noted that roles and responsibilities within the SOPs remain insufficiently defined, which could lead to confusion during emergencies. To address these issues, participants called for clearer leadership structures, detailed roles and responsibilities, and stronger coordination across sectors. “There should be designated team leaders at all times, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, which highlights the need for a more detailed SOP,” a participant said. Similarly, another participant said, “There should be pre-identified team leads for each operational desk, along with clearly listed members, including their names and designations, in the SOP,” adding that SOPs should also specify which operational units need to be activated depending on the nature of the crisis. Clear leadership and defined roles ensure tasks are carried out efficiently, coordination is smooth, and critical actions are not missed during emergencies. The importance of regular and periodic training was also emphasized to strengthen preparedness, particularly in areas such as cross-border health screening and coordinated response. Participants further stressed the need to better integrate the health sector into broader disaster response efforts. “Health teams should be included in search and rescue operations during disasters and accidents, as current systems do not adequately integrate the health sector,” an official said. The MoH , while preparing the updated SOP, will address these issues and other issues raised by the officials to ensure clearer roles, stronger coordination, and effective operational preparedness during emergencies.