British medical aid agency Merlin opened a field hospital today in a remote village in Pakistan-administered Kashmir where thousands of people have had no access to health care since the October 8 earthquake.
A team of medical specialists, including surgeons and trauma nurses, have treated more than 25 patients in the first two hours in Panjkot village, where an estimated 205 people were killed, including 29 children.
Merlin will set up a second field hospital and a temporary clinic offering basic health services this week approximately 20 miles away, in the Neelum valley.
The team arrived in Panjkot yesterday by helicopter, with approximately two tonnes of medical supplies, equipment and tents.
Dr Richard Villar, an orthopaedic surgeon from Cambridge who is leading Merlin’s team, said: “We are helping lots of people here, but we need to evacuate the more serious cases until we get more supplies in. We need equipment for general anaesthetic and operating facilities. We are expecting another airlift tomorrow, with more staff and more supplies.”
Merlin’s temporary health facilities will serve a total population of around 160,000 in the Panjkot region and Neelum valley.
David Wightwick, Merlin’s Operations Director, said: “All health facilities in this region were completely destroyed by the earthquake. Merlin’s priority has been to get the field hospitals and clinic up and running in the short term.
“We are facing a potential major health crisis. The wintry weather is starting to set in, and thousands of people are at risk of pneumonia and other respiratory infections.
”All the roads to the region are impassable due to multiple landslides, so it has been an enormous logistical challenge because we have been completely dependent on helicopters.”
Merlin is also planning ahead beyond the emergency phase, and will be rebuilding clinics in the longer term.