Pakistan: Relief and Health Services for Earthquake Affected Victims
Dr. Martina Fuchs Visits Clinic: Q4 2017
January 01, 2018
Dr. Rubina Mumtaz
Summary of Activities
Our approach to choosing the clinic site for this project has been needs-based, as this service is more focused on people in need, irrespective of their experience in the earthquake. Thus, the modus operandi for our clinic has been semi-stationary, moving from site to site according to our assessment of need in different localities within the same district. As a result, the equipment, machinery, and accompanying paraphernalia of the clinical setup have been kept to a minimum, allowing us to move easily and swiftly. Since December 2015, we have worked in five different remote villages:
- Laloo Bandee, Union Council Bandai
- Takhta Banda, Union Council Odigram
- Odigram, Union Council Odigram
- Balogram, Union Council Odigram
- Nagoha, Union Council Barikot
The site approach for this project’s clinic has evolved from a semi-mobile model during the relief stage to a hub-and-spoke model introduced in August 2017, which is composed of a stationary hub clinic and a linked semi-mobile satellite clinic. The hub clinic is a centrally located, easily accessible stationary health center that offers comprehensive primary healthcare services. The range of services currently offered include primary health care, primary maternal and child health (MCH) care, routine laboratory investigations, and ultrasound services. We also envision the addition of immunization services, psychosocial counseling, TB referral point, and HIV/AIDS voluntary counseling and testing. Complications and cases that require advanced health care are referred to secondary and tertiary government hospitals.
In October 2017, CEO of Real Medicine Foundation Dr. Martina Fuchs paid a visit to the Real Medicine Clinic (hub clinic) in Swat.
Full Report
Results &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Primary Health
Helping People
A total of 3,162 men, women, and children sought primary healthcare services in both our hub and satellite clinic. Combining both clinics, the most commonly presented illnesses were urinary tract infections (UTIs) with 417 (13.2%) cases, followed by respiratory tract infections (RTIs) with 393 (12.4%), which is characteristic of winter seasonal ailments. The third most commonly presented complaint was gastritis with 366 (11.6%) cases, followed by diarrhea with 337 (10.7%). Illnesses not defined within our standard reporting format were categorized under “other,” with 262 (8.3%) cases.
Maternal and Child
2,007 Patients
A total of 2,007 women and children sought maternal and child health services at both our hub and satellite clinics. Antenatal care was provided to 79 (3.9%) pregnant women, while 107 (5.3%) mothers sought postnatal care. This is a slight improvement compared to our statistics in the previous quarterly morbidity report, where antenatal and postnatal services were at only 8 (0.7%) patients and 38 (1.5%) patients, respectively.
At the satellite clinic, the most commonly sought MCH service was family planning at 41 (14.2%) patients, a rather interesting find given the conservative culture of Swat.
Lab and Ultrasound
422 Patients
A total of 422 patients were provided with pathology lab investigations and ultrasound services at our hub clinic. Of these, 308 (73%) were routine pathology investigations, while the remaining 114 (27%) were ultrasounds.
Similarly to our previous morbidity reports, the most commonly provided lab tests were routine urine tests at 138 (44.8%) investigations. This was followed closely by Widal tests and pregnancy tests at 72 (23.4%) and 51 (16.6%), respectively. Ultrasounds were most commonly conducted for antenatal purposes at 67 (58.8%), followed by abdominal ultrasounds at 26 (22.8%).
Background
& Objectives
Background
On October 26, 2015, at 14.09 hrs, an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 hit the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. The epicenter was centered in Badakhsan Province of Afghanistan, 76 Km north of the Chitral border of Pakistan.
The earthquake luckily spared extreme damage to infrastructure of the affected areas, hence the low rate of mortality and morbidity but remote villages tucked deep in the folds of the mountains composed of mud and wood have succumbed to the quake tremors rendering whole villages shelter less. Also the event triggered off a series of landslides in the mountainous regions that, in the face of the impending winter where it has been raining and snowing in some regions, led to power outages in many places and road blocks, isolating large tracts of areas where people are in need.
Objectives
1. To provide immediate relief shelter
2. To provide immediate relief food
3. To provide immediate health care
4. To assist in rebuilding of destroyed homes
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