Trinidad and Tobago is now better prepared for health emergencies thanks to the development of comprehensive hospital evacuation plans for the Port of Spain General Hospital and the St. James Medical Complex. This work represents a key institutional advance in ensuring the continuity of essential health services during disasters and other high impact emergency events.

During the biennium, PAHO played a critical role in providing specialized technical cooperation on hospital risk assessment, evacuation planning, and policy integration. Working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, PAHO ensured that evacuation frameworks were aligned with international standards while being adapted to local operational realities. Its added value lay in strengthening governance and accountability mechanisms within hospital preparedness planning, embedding evacuation protocols within the broader national disaster management architecture, and ensuring coherence with established emergency response policies.

Beyond planning, PAHO supported implementation readiness through targeted capacity-building, including the design of training modules and the facilitation of simulation exercises for health personnel. 

These efforts enhanced institutional resilience, improved staff preparedness to operationalize evacuation procedures under real world conditions, and reduced the risk of service disruption during emergencies. Over time, this achievement is expected to contribute to stronger national readiness, improved protection of lives, and a more resilient hospital system capable of maintaining critical services in the face of shocks and crises.

Photo caption: Participants from the North West Regional Health Authority in deep discussion during the Hospital Evacuation simulation exercise
Credit: PAHO Trinidad and Tobago