In the western region, Doctors Without Borders supports the Herat Regional Hospital and managed the paediatric section including triage, emergency room, inpatient therapeutic feeding centre (ITFC), paediatric ICU, intermediate care unit and the ambulatory (outpatient) therapeutic feeding centre (ATFC).
“When the first earthquake hit this morning, our teams rushed to evacuate all the children who were admitted, many in critical condition, from the paediatric inpatient wards of the Herat Regional Hospital, which are run by Doctors Without Borders. This was as a precautionary measure in case aftershocks damaged the building. The facility was not affected by the earthquake,” said Lisa Macheiner, Project Coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Herat.
“In emergency room of the hospital, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is currently handling all incoming wounded patients and has requested supplementary medical supplies. In response, we've dispatched mass casualty kits to treat up to 400 wounded patients and stationed a medical team at the hospital's emergency room for further support if necessary. As rescue efforts and search for wounded continue in affected areas, we are monitoring the situation and will adapt our response as needed.”
In response to potential additional needs, Doctors Without Borders has established five medical tents within the hospital compound with the capacity to accommodate up to 80 patients.
