BMJ  2008;336:1209 (31 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.39591.545602.DB

News

Health services in China face enormous challenge after earthquake

Jane Parry

1 Hong Kong

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

As well as the more than 80 000 people dead or missing as a result of the earthquake in Sichuan on 12 May, at least 292 480 people were injured and 5.4 million were left homeless, creating a huge medical and public health challenge for the Chinese authorities.

Non-governmental organisations have rushed to the aid of China’s medical system. They have found that although basic medical needs are being met, highly specialised medical expertise and equipment are urgently needed.

"What is coming across clearly to us," said Martin De Smet, head of the emergency unit at the Brussels headquarters of Médecins Sans Frontières, "is that the basic needs of public health, general surgery, and the distribution of hygiene kits seem to be covered quite well, and we have two roles to play: in very specific medical fields and in the area of mental health."

In nephrology, for example, the Chinese . . . [Full text of this article]


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