Quake pushes patchy medical system to breaking point

ISLAMABAD—Massive earthquake has strained to breaking point an already patchy medical system, with hospitals in ruin, doctors dead and tens of thousands needing urgent treatment. Pakistan ranks near the bottom of international rankings in public spending on health and the disaster shattered the infrastructure in one of its poorest — and now most needy — regions. “Quite simply, we are no match for this big a tragedy,” said Arshad Rana, President of the Pakistan Medical Association.
The Government has decided to immediately launch a special immunization campaign covering more than two million population of the earthquake affected areas. More than 100 teams from the other parts of the country and volunteers will be mobilized for the purpose.
The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of Disaster Management Committee presided over by Health Minister Muhammad Nasir Khan, held at PIMS here on Friday. Federal Secretary Health, Syed Anwar Mahmood and other senior officials attended the meeting.
More vaccinators with adequate supply of vaccines especially against measles and tetanus will join the immunization teams already working in Mansehra, Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot base camps. The meeting decided to further improve the arrangements for the receipt of the patients at Chaklala airbase and their distribution to the various hospitals of Rawalpindi-Islamabad.
More ambulances will be made available for the purpose while an officer of the Ministry of Health will be coordinator at the Chaklala airbase. The patients received at the Chaklala airbase will be immediately shifted to PIMS for further distribution according to the availability of the beds.
It was decided to sent a team of five lady doctors and 10 female nurses to Muzaffarabad base camp. More female nurses reporting from Punjab Health Department, Aga Khan University Karachi and mission hospitals of Sialkot and Faisalabad will be sent to the affected areas. More paramedical staff will also be sent to these areas.
Satellite hospitals with adequate staff and supplies will be established at National Institute of Special Education at H-8 and Al-Maktoom Special Education Centre at G-7/2. More satellite hospitals with adequate staff and supplies will be established in the schools and colleges as and when required. The French team will assist the PIMS whereas the Hungarian and Zcech Republic teams will establish field hospitals in the affected areas. Three US medical teams expected to arrived in next couple of days will establish field hospitals in Rawalakot, Bagh and Chiniari.
Basic Radiology, Laboratory and Blood Bank facilities alongwith the relevant staff will be provided to the base camps in Muzaffarabad, Mansehra, Bagh and Rawalakot. Blood units will be airlifted to the patients being treated in the affected areas. The Punjab Health Department will be requested to provide the refrigerated vans for the safe transport of the blood and vaccination.
The meeting was informed that the spray and fogging teams in Rawalakot, Jaboori, Sutthan, Nawazabd, Ogi, Bathal, Chattar plain, Bal Mang, Hajeera, Chak, Khaigala, Pakhar, Ali Soojal, Abbasspur, Drayattee, Bangwein, Datoot, Sangola, Phal, Paniwala and Thorad have also started their work in addition to the team placed at Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Mansehra, Balakot and Ghari Habibullah. More medical teams arriving from the different parts of the country will be sent with essential medical supplied to the three base camps of the Health Ministry located at Muzaffarabad, Mansehra and Rawalakot for further assignment. The DHQ Hospital of Batagram will be made fully functional and all the necessary staff and supplies will be sent today.—Agencies