OntheWilderSide

I am very careful about where I donate money. I decided to make a donation to
Doctors Without Borders/MSF in order to give assistance to Myanmar and China.

May 16, 2008
MSF Teams Working in China’s Quake-hit Areas
© MSF

Earthquake death toll in southwest China’s Sichuan Province has exceeded 19,500 by Thursday, May 15, according to Chinese officials. According to reports, thousands of people remain trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. The epicenter is located in Wenchuan, northwest of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. Some 90,000 buildings have reportedly been destroyed and many areas in the mountains have not yet been accessed.

The health-care infrastructure is good in Sichuan, but some hospitals have been damaged, and services have been limited and overwhelmed by wounded. Health-care interventions have been made free of charge in this post-earthquake period. There is a referral system in place for complicated medical cases (usually from towns to cities). Surgical equipment and capacity are needed, especially for orthopedic care and anesthesia.

Two of the three Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams (3 doctors, 1 clinical officer, 1 logistician, 1 administrator) have been assessing the immediate health needs in several affected areas of Sichuan. In Anxian, Dujiangyan, and Beichuan districts, north of Chengdu, MSF team carried out assessments. In Beichuan district alone at least 10,000 people are missing with more than 5,000 people reportedly dead. The results from the initial assessment indicate urgent needs for shelters, drinking water, medical and sanitation supplies. Most pharmacies in the area were destroyed by the quake, and people are facing a dire shortage of medicines. Therefore, MSF is planning to send medicine and medical supplies to Chengdu…

Rest of report is here.

© 2008 Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

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