Recently we returned from the area in Pakistan affected by October's earthquake, having provided care to people suffering in its aftermath. Nothing could have prepared us for the distressing scenes we saw. Whole generations have been lost; millions of people have been left homeless and thousands of children orphaned.

Should there be a system for checking the background of care providers in disasters such as the Pakistan earthquake?

Credit: TOMAS MUNITA/AP/EMPICS

As in all recent natural disasters there was an outpouring of charity from the public and a rush to the scene of scores of emergency relief organisations. These ranged from recognised, regulated official organisations to unregulated and ad hoc groups.

Many individual overseas medical professionals volunteered their help and inundated the afflicted areas. However, although well meant, their help led us to question whether volunteer doctors do more harm than good.

We were alarmed at the number of patients who had received some …