Poor health conditions at emergency quake camps

Health experts have expressed grave concern over unsanitary conditions at over 1,000 spontaneous camps housing earthquake survivors in parts of northern Pakistan and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. "Spontaneous camps are a potential [health] risk. The unsanitary conditions in these camps continue to give cause for concern," Dr Khalif Bile, country head of the World Health Organization (WHO), said in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Thursday. According to the WHO, there are more than 1,000 spontaneous camps housing survivors of October’s devastating regional quake that killed at least 80,000 people. In Muzaffarabad - capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir - alone, there are 23 spontaneous camps, of which only 12 have adequate health facilities. Bile suggested having at least one paramedic at every camp. More than 100,000 were injured after the powerful quake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale ripped through Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. In addition, over 3.5 million people were rendered homeless, with extensive damage to public-service infrastructure. More than 80 percent of health facilities in the devastated region were either destroyed or damaged beyond use. In a preventive measure to reduce the chance of epidemic outbreaks, vaccination campaigns against measles, diphtheria, tetanus, polio and vitamin A, have been ongoing in the earthquake-affected area since the first week of the disaster. A total of 300,000 children have received vaccinations to date. A Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) was also put in place by Pakistani health authorities just after the earthquake, with 124 reporting units and six mobile teams available to investigate reported disease outbreaks. The system is operational in five of the worst quake-affected districts with a total population of over 3.6 million: Muzaffarabad; Bagh; Poonch in Pakistani administered Kashmir; Mansehra; and Battagram districts of NWFP. According to the WHO, the DEWS monitors any trends and changes in disease patterns. The system noted an alarming increase in cases of acute watery diarrhoea in one spontaneous camp in Muzaffarabad during the second week of November and the outbreak was rapidly dealt with before it spread widely. According to the Federal Relief Commission, there are 47 international field hospitals operational through quake-affected areas. However, two months on, the pattern of treatment at these field hospitals has changed, say health experts, as they are no longer dealing with acute earthquake-related trauma but are providing essential surgical services and hospitalised care for severe medical conditions. Meanwhile, another nine mental health teams have also been mobilised to focus on psycho-social support for the millions of earthquake survivors facing the harsh Himalayan winter.