Pakistan Update #10

Sindh Province
Sindh province, where the hospital (SCH) is located, is 35% under water affecting some eight million people. The total number of IDPs in the relief camps is around one million, with 800,000 living in open fields. There are four helicopters operating in Sindh, which is a UN priority because flooding is still active here.

The biggest problems that displace people in Pakistan are facing in right now are water, health and hygiene. Water filtration plants are being set up, with two installed and six in the pipeline. Large numbers of people living in the IDP camps have chronic illnesses such as malnutrition, anemia and parasitic diseases like malaria and worms. Many have poor access to water and no soap, which further contributes to dehydration and skin disease. Moreover, without resources of their own and having to rely solely on donated food, either cooked or staples, their diets are largely rice and some lentils or bread. Furthermore, many IDPs have a poor understanding of basic hygiene and the benefits of ORS (water filtration kits). Being in such a debilitated state already contributes to lower resistance to disease and increased risk of epidemic disease. Dr. Priscilla (SCH) treated a two-year-old child the other day for malaria and chronic diarrhea whose mother told her that she had another child that was sick with the same symptoms but died in the truck as they were fleeing the flood waters that suddenly inundated their village.

The Hospital (SCH)
Last night 700-747 people were fed. No food is being thrown away. When members of the committee have visited other camps they have seen piles of rotting food, producing a horrible odor and lots of flies. We have ordered the kitchen sets and will distribute them during an evening food service. We will figure out how much one pack of food should weigh and check the weights to make sure we haven’t been defrauded by our supplier. We also decided to bring one donkey cartload of wood to get the people started. Once or twice a week we want to supply fresh food in the form of vegetables or fruit. We will go daily to the camp to check on their needs and do health teaching.

Medical Personnel Needed
Many IDPs are sick, but medicines aren’t reaching them. To further help address the health issues, we are hoping to add two medical teams, which would serve in short-term blocks through mid-September to the end of October. If epidemics arise, we may need to extend them through November, but we don’t anticipate it going beyond this time. Each team will need a male and female doctor (or provider) for a total of four, two nurses for a total of four, as well as a team leader/coordinator and a cook/laundry helper. The teams would be used for mobile medical camps where it is determined they could be most useful—one may operate a clinic in Shikarpur, the other may help with Lifeline's clinics in Sukkur, or both may serve in Shikarpur. If epidemics arise and we need to open the hospital, we will stop doing the mobile clinics and use the teams in the hospital. Medical personnel interested in serving on one of these teams, please click here: Medical Team. If you would like to serve as a cook/laundry helper, select: Cook/Laundry Helper for Medical Team.

Generally in an IDP camp of 600-700 refugees there are 200-300 patients. Their medical problems usually consist of chronic malnutrition secondary to dietary limitations, as well as parasites, chronic (sometimes severe) anemia, chronic as well as acute diarrhea, due to both worms and giardia, sometimes amoeba; heat-related problems such as dehydration, heat rash and secondary impetigo; scabies, ringworm, conjunctivitis, malaria (both acute and chronic) and upper respiratory infections. For women, chronic PID leading to menstrual irregularities and infertility are seen, as they have never been treated when they developed it acutely; typhoid could become an issue. Our teams will include hospital helpers who will instruct the women on basic hygiene issues, making and uses of ORS, causes of diarrhea and anemia, etc. and distribute soap. Nurses will be used to explain and give initial doses of medicines to IDPs, so that they understand how to take them.

Other News
For a good assessment of the flood damage in Pakistan, go to: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11104310.