Nepal Earthquake: April 25, 2015

Just this past Saturday (April 25, 2015), the country of Nepal has experienced what has been deemed the worst natural disaster in Nepal’s history for more than 80 years. The Nepal earthquake was a 7.8 magnitude quake that has, so far, resulted in 5,000 deaths and over 9,000 injuries. Eight million have been affected by this disaster, so its effects are dramatic and far reaching. The earthquake has resulted in several offshoot disasters, including aftershocks, landslides and the well-publicized Mt. Everest avalanche. As tragedy strikes, 16 nations have hurried in to come to Nepal’s aid, including India, China, and Israel. The United States has sent several disaster relief teams as well as provided $10 million in assistance.

Despite these international efforts, barriers remain to providing relief to Nepal and surrounding areas devastated by the earthquake. Barriers include unreliable means of communication, the terrain, badly damaged roads, weather (heavy rains), lack of supplies (food, drinking water, electricity, gas, etc.), unsanitary conditions and a continually rising number of injured. Hospitals in Nepal are overflowing with patients and healthcare professionals are running low on medications and surgical supplies. The relief efforts are ongoing for the country of Nepal at this time. They continue to require international assistance as they continue searching for survivors and cleaning up the rubble. The country of Nepal is dependent on income from tourism so this disaster will greatly affect their economic status.

I can’t even begin to fathom what it would be like to be a healthcare provider during this crisis. The overwhelming number of those affected and the destruction of homes and buildings is difficult to imagine. I have yet to participate in a disaster effort, let alone one of this magnitude, but it is essential that we learn from this disaster to better prepare for future disasters. Previous earthquakes and other international disasters have better equipped the world for more efficient and effective response to save lives and minimize devastation. With each new disaster, new obstacles are encountered and hopefully overcame and/or provided a learning experience that will improve the world’s preparedness for the next disaster.

References

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

Shapiro, E. (2015). Nepal earthquake resucue teams en route in wake of devastation. Good Morning America. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/International/nepal-earthquake-rescue-teams-en-route-wake-devastation/story?id=30609810

Mai-Duc C. (2015). Nepal earthquake: 8 million affected, 4 Americans dead; how to help. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-asia-nepal-earthquake-what-you-need-to-know-20150427-htmlstory.html

Pesta, J. and Bhattacharya, S (2015). Rescuers struggle to reach outlying villages hit by Nepal earthquake. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/nepal-rescuers-struggle-to-reach-quake-victims-1430113791