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WHO sends more medical aid for earthquake-ravaged Nepal
The World Health Organization (WHO) is surging additional medical supplies and health workers into the earthquake-affected region to help the Nepalese government provide rapid medical assistance to the thousands who have been injured in Saturdayâs disaster
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he World Health Organization (WHO) is surging additional medical supplies and health workers into the earthquake-affected region to help the Nepalese government provide rapid medical assistance to the thousands who have been injured in Saturday's disaster.
"WHO has deployed eight more emergency health kits containing essential medicines, disposables and instruments to cover the health needs of 80,000 people for the next three months," WHO's South-East Asia Region (SEARO) regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said on Tuesday.
"An additional five emergency health kits are being flown in along with surgical kits and trauma bags to meet the immediate health needs. There is an urgent need to replenish medical stocks to support the emergency response efforts," she added.
WHO is also working in collaboration with Nepal's Health Ministry to coordinate the arrival and deployment of the medical teams coming from other countries and non-governmental organizations, commonly called foreign medical teams (FMT).
As of Tuesday, at least 20 foreign medical teams have offered support to the country and have registered with WHO. The first teams are expected to arrive in Kathmandu on Tuesday evening.
"Each team that has registered is committed to ensuring that the Nepalese people impacted by this disaster will get treated by the most appropriate health workers and equipment," says WHO FMT initiative head Ian Norton.
"Such support is essential in this early phase of trauma care. Every hour counts with trauma care. The response is time critical," he said.
Some 30 of Nepal's 75 districts have been impacted, with 11 priority districts identified as in greatest need of humanitarian relief. Thousands of affected people require access to health care for emergency needs and pre-conditions. (ebf)(+++)
