2023-05-24 18:00:33
- The IMSS has the page of the Virtual Center for Operations in Emergencies and Disasters where information on natural phenomena is found.
- This information system is shared with institutions such as the Ministry of Health, ISSSTE, the National Coordination of Civil Protection, the Armed Forces and the Navy.
- All the IMSS units affected by the activity of the Popocatépetl Volcano are located in the State of Mexico, Morelos, Tlaxcala and Puebla.
Through the Virtual Center for Operations in Emergencies and Disasters (CVOED), the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) activated the protection protocols in a radius of 30 kilometers that include 29 medical facilities near the Popocatépetl volcano. This measure will be valid in the State of Mexico, Morelos, Tlaxcala and Puebla.
In this sense, the coordinator of medical programs, Dr. Ramiro Mejía Nogales, explained that since the beginning of the volcanic activity, the CVOED was given the task of monitor the medical and hospital units adjacent to said entities.
IMSS units at risk from the Popocatépetl Volcano
The strategy is applied in a General Zone Hospital in Metepec, Puebla; two Family Medicine Units in the capital of this state; three in the State of Mexico Oriente; as well as 22 rural medical units of IMSS-Bienestar in municipalities of Puebla and one in Morelos. These figures are updated depending on volcanic activity.
“These hospitals have their established protocols and we are monitoring the behavior of the threat and in the event of an evacuation, knowing when it would be done.”
Doctor Mejía Nogales explained that in these units The alert protocols have already been activated in accordance with the provisions of the institutional Civil Protection brigades. They work jointly with state and federal agencies to disseminate protection actions and preparation for a possible evacuation.
He said that for better coordination between the directors of IMSS medical and hospital units, the CVOED has a complete directory of all the facilities to maintain direct communication and have first-hand information about the behavior of the Popocatépetl volcano and thus facilitate the decision making.
To deal with emergencies and disasters, the IMSS has equipped ambulances, specialized personnel, a large network of hospitals, a strategic reserve of medicines that is stored in warehouses, disposable clothing for the operating room and intensive care, mobile surgery and diagnostic units, that extend the coverage of medical services.
Communication with other health units
The coordinator of Medical Programs added that this information system has not only been very useful for the IMSS in adverse situations, but also for institutions such as the Ministry of Health, the ISSSTE, the National Coordination of Civil Protection, the Armed Forces and the Navy, with who shares important information for the different orders of government and the population in general.
Mejía Nogales stated that the Institute has a website where you can find information on natural phenomena. It also offers advice in the event of an earthquake, volcanic ash fall, preventive measures for acid rain and hurricanes to increase knowledge on issues of disaster prevention and mitigation.
The CVOED is directly connected to more than 3,600 points in the country, with 24-hour real-time monitoring and medical attention from specialists in five shifts.
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