A mass casualty subject matter expert exchange and partner nation capacity building exercise took place as part of PANAMAX Alpha Phase II, September 6-12.
In a joint effort, the U.S. Embassy, Ministry of Health, Panama Social Security Fund (CSS), National Air and Naval Service (SENAN), Panama National Police (PNP), and the National Border Service (SENAFRONT) worked together to test their ability to rapidly deploy an emergency medical team for disaster response in collaboration with Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo) and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
The joint training was used to enhance interoperability of U.S and Panamanian authorities in the deployment of emergency services and to validate the inclusion of mass casualty events into future PANAMAX exercises.
“I would consider this our crawl phase,” said Air Force Lieutenant Colonel John Camacho Ayala, air advisor/international health specialist of SOUTHCOM Command Surgeon’s Office and lead planner for this collaborative event. “This is our first time working together on something like this, so together we will decide if it’s something we want to incorporate into future iterations of PANAMAX.”
Seventeen mobile hospital modules, 10 of which were donated by SOUTHCOM through the Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) during the COVID-19 pandemic, were set up during the first three days of the exercise which took place behind the National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) headquarters.
Set up consisted of 35 people, led by Brian Avila, a paramedic with Panama Social Security Fund (CSS), who described his experience using the mobile hospital modules. “We tested these during the COVID pandemic, helping hospitals respond in the Central provinces and Chiriqui province, to increase the capacity of the CSS. We also supported Costa Rica by sending one of the modules to increase service capacity, where we installed 40 beds for the CSS of Costa Rica.”
Areas of treatment provided by these mobile hospitals can include gynecology; pediatrics; triage; communicable and noncommunicable diseases; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) disasters; a morgue; as well as administrative areas dedicated to support and communications.
Dr. Gabriela Romero, of the emergency medicine department at Irma de Lourdes Tzanetatos Hospital, led the medical portion of the exercise and shared her perspective on the benefit of the joint training, “The objectives of these exercises are to show response capacity of the CSS and the Panamanian entities when facing any accidents like chemical spills, epidemics, etc.
“It’s important to share and increase knowledge and improve response capacity, as well as improve quality of care for different events,” Romero added.
On day four, 20 medical emergency students arrived to start moulage makeup in preparation for the mass casualty execution.
“I’m studying medical emergencies and disaster care […]; we are currently in a drill where I’m participating as a patient […]. From this drill I hope to learn how the patients feel because perhaps my role as a paramedic is to treat them, but we never get the experience to be in their shoes,” said Nicole Pineda, a volunteer and medical student at the Specialized las Americas University.
The teams simulated various scenarios, creating chaotic scenes where ambulances arrived with multiple patients at once, aiming to induce panic akin a real-world situation. This tested the participants’ communication skills and their ability to stay calm under pressure.
“This practical exercise is very important to prepare for emergency or disaster response or also to increase the capacity of the emergency service or caring for mass casualties,” said Avila, attesting to the importance of the readiness training.
“Practicing with SOUTHCOM or the U.S. Army helps us to associate and for the U.S. to know the response capabilities of Panama to see how they can support us […] and how the equipment donated to us is being adequately used for responding to emergencies, disasters, or for service-related issues by the CSS,” Avila added.
Assisting with the setup and teardown, along with practicing triage using the mobile hospital modules, equipment, supplies, and materials, provided valuable hands-on experience. This ongoing practice ensures that team members are thoroughly trained and well-prepared in the event of a disaster.
“By training side by side with our Panamanian partners, building, breaking down, and delivering critical care through a mobile field hospital, we strengthen more than just our capabilities,” said Air Force Major Anna Lain, mass casualty exercise officer in charge, JTF-Bravo. “We strengthen trust, resilience, and readiness. Every shared effort makes us faster, stronger and better prepared to face disaster together. Practice today is the promise of a more capable response tomorrow.”
