"The Foreign Medical Teams deploying to Nepal meet the minimum standards required to be part of this life-saving initiative," said WHO South-East Asia Region (SEARO) on Tuesday.

The minimum standards include being able to provide initial emergency care of injuries for outpatients; deliver inpatient acute care, general and obstetric surgery for trauma and other major conditions; ensure complex inpatient referral surgical care, including intensive care capacity, be self sufficient and capable of providing care upon arrival.

WHO says injuries caused by the Nepal earthquake are similar to what have been seen after earthquakes of this magnitude.

"Many who were trapped in buildings as they collapsed have lost their lives. Survivors have injuries ranging from broken bones, head trauma, spinal injuries and crush syndrome," said WHO.

"These types of injuries require intensive and rapid medical treatment and some will require surgery."

WHO SEARO regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said the UN health agency had established an organization-wide coordination mechanism to mobilize experts to support the health sector in Nepal to respond to this crisis.

A surge team comprising of an emergency operation commander, two epidemiologists and two logisticians have been deployed to strengthen WHO support.

WHO says that within 24 hours of the earthquake, it has provided the first tranche of US$175,000 to the Nepalese government from the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund to meet the immediate health needs of the earthquake affected people in Nepal. (ebf)(+++)

Popular

PDI-P will likely be part of opposition: Ganjar

Indonesia one step from Olympics after beating South Korea

Bahlil leads task force to boost sugar, bioethanol production in Papua