The World Health Organization (WHO) said on December 3, 2013 that a number of people who sustained serious injuries when Typhoon Haiyan hit the central Philippines had to wait almost one month in order to receive their treatment.
Julie Hall, the WHO’s Philippines representative in a statement said, “With some of the more remote areas now accessible, we’re… seeing a second wave of people reaching hospitals with injuries”. The statement came about four weeks after the disaster. The massive typhoon destroyed some of the country’s local hospitals and left debris which blocked access to a number of those hospitals which were still in function.
The typhoon struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013 and required the air evacuation of injured people to Manila, as well as to other cities. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of the Philippine government is currently listing about 26,233 people injured. In mid-November 2013, the official figure stood at only 12,500, one week after the disaster hit the region.
Meanwhile, the official death toll is currently at 5,680, while 1,779 persons are listed as missing. Hall went on to say that hospitals in Manila, as well as others across the affected region are already treating about 20 people with spinal cord injuries, dozens with amputations and many others with serious fractures.
Photo Credits: Stripes
