Twenty-three medical teams, excluding those from government health institutes, have been providing treatment to quake victims from 26 various places in the district, according to Dr Sagar Kumar Rajbhandari, head of District Health office (DHO), Sindhupalchowk. Doctors are providing services such as applying plaster cast and normal surgery, among others."The teams have been providing services in coordination with us. Proper coordination has helped us direct them to previously unvisited areas and avoid repetition," informed Dr Rajbhandhari.
According to him, more health teams are preparing to visit the district. Few other teams that reached the district have already left for other places after providing their services. The camps provide services for two to seven days and leave for other affected areas. Locals from Gumba, Gloche, Hagam, Pangtang, and Baramchi, Bahrabise, among other villages, have benefitted from the services.
The team includes Japanese Red Cross, Childreach, Non-Resident Nepali Association, and teams from BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Kathmandu and other medical colleges.
Chautara District Hospital of the district has provided treatment to more than 1,500 injured, according to Dr Rajbhandari. "The district hospital has been providing services at Chautara Tundikhel as its building collapsed after the earthquake," he said.
"Most of the buildings of health institutes in the district have collapsed. Volunteer doctors from home and abroad have helped us," he added.
More than 60 percent buildings of health institutes in the district collapsed in the earthquake.
According to DHO, the earthquake has damaged health posts of Thulo Sirubari, Batase, Peepaldada, Shauley, Sipaphokhare, Bhimtar, Badegau, Shikarpur, Talamarang and Pulchowk, among other villages.
As a large number of much needed medicines were also buried in the rubble, the district is facing shortage of necessary medicines. "Health workers have not been able to provide effective treatment due to shortage of medicines," said Dr Rajbhandari.
Dr Govinda KC, who is a professor of orthopedics at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, has also joined the health teams in the district for the treatment of quake victims. He has been treating patients from a health camp of Chautara for the last three days. A large number of patients have gathered at the camp at Chautara Tudikhel after knowing about Dr KC's visit. As he specializes in treatment of fractured joints, many have benefitted from his service. "I plan to stay here for a few more days treating patients," said Dr KC.
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