US builds emergency hospital in Padang

An emergency hospital, built by a US humanitarian mission in the quake-hit West Sumatra capital of Padang to help provide medical treatment for survivors of the disaster, was inaugurated on Tuesday.

The United States Embassy said in a statement the emergency hospital, built just behind M. Djamil Hospital, could accommodate 400 patients per day.

The 7.6-magnitude quake has caused damage to hospitals in the city, forcing the administration to erect tents to treat wounded patients or those who are falling sick following the disaster.

Shortly after the quake struck, the US government provided a US$300,000 emergency grant to Mercy Corps International through the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The funds will be used immediately for emergency relief kits, clean water and sanitation kits, and later for household repairs and rebuilding kits.