Briefing on the floods impact on Sari Pul provincial hospital Summary

Heavy rains and snow melting resulted on massive increase of water level of Sari Pul river and subsequent flooding (17 to 20 May) along the river bank, including the Sari Pul city and four other districts: Sancharak, Gosfandi, Sozma Qala, Kohistanat.

The flooding caused 24 death, 2800 mud houses damaged or destroyed, 10,000 people displaced, 4 schools damaged. The provincial hospital, located close to the river was badly affected by the flood.

Impact of floods on PHC system in the province

Information so far about two BHUs that have been flooded: Dah Marda and Masjid Sabz – in Sancharak district.

Dah Marda BHC is operating in a community-owned building offered by the community. Swedish Committee (SCA) has almost completed a standard new building and in a couple of months the BHU will be moved.

The boundary wall of Masjid Sabz BHC in Sancharak is destroyed by the flood. Health services are maintained as regular. Both these health facilities are located in SCA cluster of operation.

Hospital situation before the floods

The provincial hospital has 100 beds and all specialties for secondary level care, serving around 700,000 people (officially 580,000 inhabitants, but health partners and MoPH gave this number). Before the floods, around 400 outpatients consultations/day; 140 surgeries; 20 caesarian sections; 178 deliveries; and 600 hospitalisations. The hospital is run by the MoPH under the “Hospital Reform “project and funded by the MoF; all wards have been re-habilitated over a period of few years. A new, bigger hospital is under construction and it will be ready for use in about 1 1/2 - 2 year.

Fortunately, no patients or staff died or have been injured during the floods - when water start raising and entered the wards, the staff helped the 62 hospitalized patients to move to higher ground in the emergency ward and outpatient section. The big bulk of the medical stock is in the PPHD ware house that has not been flooded. Severely ill hospitalized patients have been transferred in Jawzjan public hospital (neighboring province) and some chose to go to private hospital not affected by floods.

What is functioning at present ?

30 beds have been established in the emergency ward and the out-patient section and used for hospitalization; a 72 m3 tent (sent from Kabul by WHO Health Cluster) with 20 beds was installed for paediatric ward: the weather is hot, it will be difficult to continue for long period. Also a small delivery room with very basic equipment and an operating theatre (equipped for small surgeries) were established in the emergency ward not affected floods as located in a high ground. No possibility for basic intensive care for new borne and adult.

There is no immediate shortage of medicines as WHO/Health cluster had provided the province with part of the medical contingency stock just 10 days before the floods. The provincial ware-house has not been affected by flood.