BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), with funding from the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Programme of Support for Health Security Strengthening, successfully facilitated a Field Hospital Medical Training and Simulation Exercise in partnership with the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) from May 12–17, 2025, in Bridgetown, Barbados.
A total of 18 participants from 11 CARPHA member states, (British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Cayman Islands, Suriname, Belize, The Bahamas, and St Maarten), and three staff CARPHA members participated.
The training equipped medical and emergency response teams with the technical knowledge, operational skills, and hands-on/field experience, required to deploy and operate Type 2 field hospitals in response to a range of emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and large-scale public health threats.
Participants were trained over the course of five days in mass casualty management, field hospital deployment logistics, and inter-agency coordination. This culminated in a disaster simulation exercise which tested their ability to manage high-pressure response scenarios and integrate clinical and public health services in a dynamic emergency setting.
“This regional training is a direct investment in the region’s capacity to respond swiftly and effectively to complex health threats demonstrating a shared commitment to building more resilient health systems and improving emergency preparedness across the Caribbean”. said Dr Lisa Indar, executive director, CARPHA. “By strengthening our regional readiness today, we will be better prepared for when the next emergency arises.”
The training programme was designed not only to reinforce clinical emergency response protocols, but also to strengthen coordination between national health authorities and rapid response teams. The simulation component created a realistic, high-intensity environment in which participants were required to assess and respond to mock casualties, establish triage areas, and manage patient flow and logistics through real-time decision-making and collaborative teamwork.
“{The} commitment… and collaboration over the past six days is a testament to the resilience, the unity and the Caribbean spirit that defines Caribbean emergency response agencies. I would also like to commend CARPHA for its continued investment in public health and security.” said Chief of Staff of the BDF, Brigadier Carlos Lovell.
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