French doctors fear more casualties in quake-hit areas

BALAKOT—Thousands of earthquake survivors facing death threat due to severe cold and spread of epidemic diseases as they were living under the open sky without shelter and proper healthcare. These concerns were expressed by French doctors team while providing medical aid to earthquake victims here on Sunday. “It’s absolutely urgent right now to provide tents to homeless people. If nothing is done there will be thousands of deaths in mountainous areas,” said Thierry Velu, head of the French aid organization. The French group, which spent its hectic days here by providing medical treatment and medicines to victims along with Pakistani army medical unit, said that hundred of people were in critical condition. The unit’s doctors said survivors remained untreated particularly bone fractures and other orthopedic nature’s complications, presently they were suffering from several cases of pneumonia and some serious infections which required amputations.—INP