Earthquake-affected hospitals in Venezuela have been pushed to the brink as the risk of disease grows

An assessment by the UN-backed Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) concluded that all eight health facilities it reviewed in La Guaira, Caracas and Miranda needed immediate outside assistance.

Three had structural damage. Authorities reported that 2,295 people were killed, 11,267 people were injured, and 12,841 people were displaced or seriously affected.

Overwhelmed wings

At Vargas-IVSS Hospital in La Guaira, 96 patients are crammed into a ward designed for eight beds. The morgue is overcrowded, the blood bank has only 35 units, and the two ventilators in the trauma unit are not working due to lack of power. There is no working phone or internet connection to track patients.

Water arrives via hand-held containers several times a day. Medical waste accumulated in the corridors. The Pan American Health Organization has ranked Vargas-IVSS as a top priority, even though the building itself is structurally sound.

At Hospital Rafael Medina Jiménez, also in La Guaira, capacity decreased from 108 beds to 35 beds. Residents also found problems transporting patients, supply shortages, growing surgical waiting lists, and biosecurity failures.

Responders are among those affected

The disaster also hit responders, Ian Clark, who leads the World Health Organization’s health emergencies programme, told reporters in Geneva.

“It is worth pausing to acknowledge the amazing work being done by local communities and national and international response teams in really difficult circumstances,” he said. “In many cases, those responding at the community and national level are people directly affected, who have friends and family affected by the earthquake.”

© WHO/PAHO The Pan American Health Organization is expanding its support to the Venezuelan Ministry of Health in the wake of the two strong earthquakes that struck the country on 24 June.

Mr. Clark said several health workers were still missing, including the official who coordinated maternal care across La Guaira — a gap that is already hampering efforts to trace pregnant women in need of care.

He added that Venezuela’s health system entered the crisis already weak, with many hospitals facing shortages of up to 37 percent of essential medicines after years of underinvestment and the financial crisis.

He added that tens of thousands of health workers have emigrated from the country in recent years, although he could not give a specific number.

Aid is flowing

PAHO delivered 2.18 tons of medicines and supplies to the Regional Health Authority of La Guaira, including trauma kits, injectable medications, protective equipment and 320 body bags. Another four tons arrived from Panama.

A 48-bed field hospital, four intensive care centers and two operating rooms are now operational in La Guaira, with more medical teams on the way, the Pan American Health Organization said.

The Director-General of the United Nations Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said it had released $1.5 million from its emergency fund, with another 28 tons of medical supplies scheduled to arrive from Dubai. The Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization have launched an appeal for nearly $24 million to continue the health response over the next six months.

Displacement is spreading

The crisis is no longer limited to La Guaira. The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs is coordinating support in eight states, including Zulia, Tachira and Anzoategui, as displaced families move in search of safety.

In La Guaira, sports stadiums, including the José María Vargas Complex and the Cesar Nieves and Playa Grande stadiums, have become centers for health care, food, water and protection services. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is seeking $14.85 million to support up to 30,000 people with shelter and basic assistance over the next six months.

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