19/08/2026
CBRN Mass Casualty Medical Response Operations Course
The CBRN Mass Casualty Medical Response Operations Course was conducted by Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City. The first batch of participants from the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) Toxicology Care Center completed the course from April 13 to 18, 2026. This was followed by the participation of another batch of CLMMRH personnel from August 10 to 15, 2026, further strengthening CLMMRH’s continuing efforts to develop its institutional capability in CBRN preparedness and mass-casualty response.
The August 2026 batch brought together a multidisciplinary and multi-agency group of participants, including personnel from the CLMMRH Emergency Department, Hospital Emergency and Disaster Management Unit (HEDMU), Toxicology Care Center, Infection Prevention and Control and Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine (IPCT), and People Safety Office (PSO), together with representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection–Special Rescue Force (BFP-SRF), and personnel from other allied hospitals and healthcare institutions.
The diverse composition of the August batch provided a valuable platform for knowledge-sharing, skills development, inter-agency coordination, and strengthening interoperability among healthcare and emergency response personnel who may be involved in the management of CBRN incidents.
The course was designed to enhance the knowledge, skills, preparedness, and operational capabilities of healthcare and emergency response personnel in managing mass-casualty incidents involving Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) hazards. It focused on key principles of CBRN preparedness and mass-casualty response, including hazard recognition, personal protective measures, decontamination, patient management, infection prevention and control, incident command, emergency operations, and inter-agency coordination.
Participants were also given opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills through practical activities and simulated operational scenarios. These exercises emphasized the importance of coordinated actions among healthcare workers, emergency responders, law enforcement, fire and rescue personnel, military units, and other allied agencies during CBRN-related emergencies.
The participation of CLMMRH personnel from the Emergency Department, HEDMU, Toxicology Care Center, Infection Prevention and Control and Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine (IPCT), and People Safety Office further strengthened the hospital’s multidisciplinary approach to CBRN preparedness and response. Their involvement supports the hospital’s continuing efforts to enhance its capability to safely receive and manage potentially contaminated patients, protect healthcare workers and other patients from secondary exposure, and provide timely emergency and toxicological care.
Overall, the CBRN Mass Casualty Medical Response Operations Course, conducted by VSMMC, served as an important capacity-building and inter-agency learning activity. The completion of the first CLMMRH Toxicology Care Center batch in April 2026, followed by the participation of the multidisciplinary and multi-agency August 2026 batch, demonstrates the continuing commitment of CLMMRH and its partner institutions to strengthen CBRN preparedness, develop competent response teams, and promote coordinated emergency response.
The training reinforced the importance of continuous learning, multidisciplinary collaboration, inter-agency coordination, teamwork, and operational readiness in protecting patients, healthcare workers, responders, and communities during CBRN and other mass-casualty emergencies.
