Earthquake in Nepal

This past Saturday, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal, India. To date, more than 4,800 people have been found dead and more than 9,200 people are injured. Nepal’s weak healthcare system, terrain, and whether are some identified barriers for providing and accessing healthcare. According to the 2011 World Health Organization report, Nepal has a population of 28 million people, only has 2.1 million physicians, and 50 hospital beds for every 10,000 people. One trauma center, Bir Hospital’s Trauma Centre has 200 beds. However, doctors need more than 1,000 more beds to treat patients. Families and children are sitting on hospital floors and tents posted outside the hospital. Patients are being discharged prematurely to make room for more injured survivors that come into the hospital. Outside major cities have limited access to healthcare facilities and only have basic medical centers that aren’t equipped to handle the injuries sustained by survivors. Additionally, the rugged terrain and poor whether have made it difficult for relief parties to reach these hospitals via helicopters. The Kathmandu International Airport has one runway and space for a limited number of aircraft to part, which has hampered the delivery of relief materials.

Aside from the response from Nepal’s local hospitals, the United Nations (UN), various aid groups and at least 16 nations have rushed aid and workers to Nepal. This catastrophic event happened less than a week ago and residents of Nepal continue to feel aftershocks from the initial earthquake. The day after the earthquake (Sunday), a 6.7 magnitude aftershock, struck east of Kathmandu; which further destroyed homes, buildings and surrounding areas. As far as socioeconomics and environment, the few medical centers present and the few number of physicians and healthcare providers has impacted how patients are seen and treated. As mentioned above, farther regions from the major cities don’t have the proper medical services to treat these severely injured patients.

As a future nurse, it is important to remember that a catastrophe can happen anytime. I believe that no amount of preparation can really truly prepare us for major traumatic events such as this one. However, we can learn from events such as the one in Nepal and prepare supplies and beds in case we were to encounter a similar situation.

References:

“Nepal earthquake: Death toll rises above 3,000.” (2015). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32475030

Reuters. (2015). Earthquake overwhelms Nepal’s weak healthcare system. IBN Live. Retrieved from http://ibnlive.in.com/news/earthquake-overwhelms-nepals-weak-healthcare-system/542403-2.html

Watson, I., Mullen, J., & Smith-Spark, L. (2015). Nepal earthquake: Death toll passes 4,800 as rescuers face challenges. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/28/asia/nepal-earthquake/

Picture: http://whatstrending.com/news/18953-earthquake-devastates-nepal