Health ministry runs Ebola drill with 14 agencies amid global outbreak

The health ministry and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency conducted a joint simulation on Tuesday assuming the domestic entry of Ebola virus disease. About 70 officials from 14 public and private institutions participated in the drill to verify the national infectious disease crisis response system.

The scenario was based on the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. Officials noted this is the largest epidemic in the country's history and the second largest globally since the West African outbreak from 2014 to 2016.

Participants reviewed protocols ranging from raising alert levels to operating central disaster headquarters and securing medical beds. The field exercise specifically simulated the detection of symptoms in a suspected patient, transfer to a designated isolation ward, and funeral procedures in the event of a death.

Participating agencies included the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Fire Service, the National Police Agency, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, district offices in Jung and Jungnang, the National Medical Center, Seoul Medical Center, and the Korea Funeral Culture Promotion Institute.

Jeong Eun-kyung, the minister of health and welfare, said effective response requires relevant agencies to faithfully perform their roles while swiftly gathering necessary capabilities and resources as situations change. Im Seung-gwan, commissioner of the disease control agency, stressed that rapid recognition and response during the initial stage of entry are critical for high-fatality diseases like Ebola.