The recent floods in Sari Pul Province (Afghanistan) have severely damaged the provincial hospital, which covers around 700,000 people, with 400 hospitalizations /month.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan took a first assessment to measure the impact and damages caused by the floods in the past few days.
The emergency ward is now used for hospitalization with only 20 beds available; a small delivery room with very basic equipment was also established; the ward include an operating room that is equipped only for minor surgery. WHO/Health Cluster donated a 72 m2 tent and 20 beds for pediatric use.
The damaged assessment indicates that the TB laboratory, surgical ward & operation room, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics wards and the 2 laundries were drowned in 1,3 m water for almost 15 hours; walls and ceiling are wet and dirty, the mud left is about 20 cm high; the hospital staff started cleaning the inside of these wards. The drainage and waste water supply systems of the wards are damaged.
The main health threats include
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High Risk of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) and Cholera outbreaks due to lack of access to safe water. Last year cholera was reported in Sayyad district. Potential increased morbidity and mortality during outbreaks due to the decreased capacity for hospitalization: the infectious diseases ward is not functional due to the floods damages.
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Increased risk for malaria - endemic related to the water pooled in many areas.
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Decreased access to secondary level health services for women and children: because of the damages reported at the Hospital, pregnant women are being referred, for example, to the hospitals available in the closes provinces. However, long distances increase the risk of mortality in the referral of pregnant women, inter alias.
Urgent actions that will fill immediate gaps
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Re-establishment of the functionality of the Operating theatre, pediatric, obstetrics and gynecology, and contagious diseases wards of the provincial hospital"
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Strengthen the epidemiological surveillance (health sector) as area is endemic for cholera (on going), and contingency planning for response (health and WASH) and implementation of immediate prevention measures.
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Increase the sector capacity to respond to cholera - increase stock, and divide responsibilities amongst partner through planning; implement health awareness through media and community leaders and schools.
In the meanwhile, the Emergency Health Committee in Sari Pul is working to ensure that the early warning on communicable diseases in affected areas where water sources have been damaged/contaminated is activated on daily basis (instead of weekly).