The devastated October 8 earthquake has played havoc with the health facilities in the five worst affected districts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and their reconstruction would require an amount of Rs 5 billion.
"This is the initial assessment as the actual damage would be many fold more," Inayatullah Khan, Provincial Health Minister told a group of journalists at Ayub Medical Complex (AMC) Abbottabad.
Besides damages to the health facilities, a large number of the health department employees had also fall prey to the record high magnitude tremors that hit parts of NWFP and Azad Kashmir.
The provincial health department was trying to sort out the deficiency generated due to the natural calamity. The health facilities, including District Headquarters Hospital, Mansehra, rural health centres (RHCs) in Chatterplain, Sacha and basic health units (BHUs) had received damage.
Ayub Medical College, a subsidiary institute of Ayub Medical College (AMC) has been declared unusable. The important research laboratories of the teaching institute have also been cracked, said Dr Ayub, Principal of the college.
Similarly, District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Mansehra had also been declared dangerous.
"Both national and foreign agencies had suggested the demolition of the Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Ghous Hazarvi Block of the hospital, but the formal decision is still awaited," informed Dr Niaz Muhammad, Deputy Medical Superintendent (DMS) DHQ Mansehra.
The hospital was comprised of 250-beds, operation theatre, intensive care unit (ICU) and casualties, which all have been declared dangerous with visible cracks all around the building. Due to the lack of space, labour room of the hospital had been declared Orthopaedic Operation Theatre.
"The whole hospital has been converted into a trauma center," a health official told Business Recorder.
When asked about the urgent required relief goods, Dr Niaz Muhammad said, "we required beds and blankets". We had arranged a lot, but most of the desperate victims took them along after discharging from hospital."
Till October 27, the hospital had received 18,000 patients of which 8856 have been admitted.
The relief agencies from all around the world had established their medical facilities on the playground of the Degree College Mansehra. A 200-bed tented Italian Hospital has been established along with 50-bed Saudi Hospitals. "We have admitted 135 victims to provide them medical relief," said Tripodi Romando, head of the Italian medical team.
The team comprised of 11 doctors and 23 surgeons has been stationed on the venue since October 12 and had conducted 94 major operations besides hundreds of minor operations. They provide free medicines to the victims and arrange toys for the affected children admitted under their facility.
The Saudi Tent Hospital is receiving 300 patients daily, who are being examined by the specialists. "We have established the facility of orthopaedic operation theatre for operating on fractures," Kentab, a member of the team told the journalists.
"Since October 8 the medical teams in the area have treated 60,000 patients and conducted more than 40,000 major and minor operations. A 67-member medical team from Cuba, 10 members from Cuba, 6-member team from Australia and 22 national teams from Punjab and Sindh are providing medical assistance to the victims.
"Italian Red Cross, Save the Children, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and People's Republic of China and Saudi Red Cross are planning to establish 200-bed, 50-bed tented villages in Mansehra and Balakot," said Dr Aman, Deputy Chief Save the Children in Pakistan.
These tented villages would be winterised and their inmates would be safe from the chilly winter.
The health department along with World Health Organisation (WHO) has started vaccination to protect children of the affected areas from pandemic of tetanus, diarrhoea and measles. Similarly, a team of the provincial department along with representatives from different health facilities have also launched vaccination campaign against pneumonia," the health minister concluded.
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