Quake overwhelms Nepal’s weak healthcare system

By Rupam Jain Nair KATHMANDU (Reuters) – A massive earthquake in Nepal has exposed the woeful state of its medical facilities as hospitals struggle to treat vast numbers of injured with limited supplies and staff. The country of 28 million has only 2.1 physicians and 50 hospital beds for every 10,000 people, according to a 2011 World Health Organization report. The situation is worsening a humanitarian crisis triggered by Nepal’s worst earthquake in 81 years. So far many of the seriously injured in Kathmandu were being referred to Bir Hospital’s Trauma Centre, which opened in February this year with 200 beds.

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Quake overwhelms Nepal’s weak healthcare system