Simon: Insufficient resources prevented Simon from a rapid response to covid

Fernando Simon, the Center for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies(CCAES), admits that covid-19 was not possible due to "chronic under-resources". The body responsible for managing the Spanish pandemic recognizes that it was only the "professional commitment" that made this possible.

The report of the Spanish Society of Public Health and Health Administration 2022 contains a statement from the CCAES technicians. Simon and Maria Jose Sierra are at the head. They stress that covid has exposed "the weaknesses of surveillance and the difficulty of managing an epidemic without a robust public-health model". They regret that, after the 2009 flu A crisis, little was done to improve data collection and promote information exchange between public health services.

"Have we not learned in these years?" Ask the experts. They warn that if the surveillance systems are not properly maintained, "the same thing" could happen.

Fernando Simon's team also questions the lack in political and social interest for this type of disease. The specialists explain that it is important to reflect on why something so obvious to public health professionals is not understood by everyone and assumed to be a commitment. This requires redistribution and prioritization of resources.

CCAES technicians insist in their analysis that the lack of automation in many processes has "called into question the trust in the surveillance system." They recall, for example, that chaos in data processing during the pandemic (such as the unreliability figures for deaths or infections caused by covid) led to "questioning and mistrust" of public health services and institutions.

They propose to make changes in the culture of health administrations to prevent similar situations in future health emergencies. This includes the involvement of public health experts in the development and maintenance of the National Health System.