Situation Report No. 04 Kathmandu, 08 May 2015

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Summary

As of 08 May 2015, the Government of Nepal (GoN) has confirmed 7,885 deaths and 17, 803 persons injured following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on 25 April. The Nepalese Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) is reporting that a total of 269 health facilities have been completely damaged and 527 health facilities have been partially damaged.2 International Medical Corps has been on the ground in Nepal since 25 April and was assigned by the MOHP to assess needs and implement relief efforts in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Gorkha and Dhading districts. Highlights  International Medical Corps’ emergency response team (ERT) has conducted 988 primary health consultations via mobile medical units (MMUs) in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Gorkha and Dhading districts.  The ERT facilitated the delivery of 700lbs of rice and non-food items (NFIs) to Gorkha on 07 May.  International Medical Corps’ logistics team procured and arranged transportation of life-saving medication for a man in Kerauja, Gorkha district suffering from cardiovascular disease.  International Medical Corps consists of 41 international staff and volunteers and nearly 15 national volunteers on the ground responding in Nepal, including doctors, nurses and surgeons in addition to specialists in nutrition, mental health/psychosocial care, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

1 NEPAL: Who does What Where When (4W) - as of 5 May 2015. http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ocha_4w_-_nepal_earthquake_- _5_may_-_final.pdf 2 WHO, Emergency and Humanitarian Action, WHO Nepal Earthquake Health Update; Situation Report No. 13. Published 08 May 2015.

Situation Report No. 04 Kathmandu, Nepal 08 May 2015

1. Situation Overview On 25 April 2015, Nepal was struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake at 11:56 local time with the epicenter in Lamjung District (northwest) of Kathmandu, which caused massive loss of life and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes. Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs continues to coordinate the response, along with the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC).3 As of 07 May, WHO reports that a total of 53,203 patients have received treatment in different hospitals in and outlying areas. Several cases of diarrhea have been reported and verified by rapid Figure 1: International Medical Corps First Responder treating response teams (RRTs) from district health offices. patients in Dhading district. Testing of stool samples from eight of ten samples collected show no growth of vibrio cholera, Shigella, or Salmonella; samples collected from Gorkha have yet to be tested. Furthermore, in coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs, a total of 7,621 of the deceased have been handed over to relatives.4 Identified needs include re-vitalization of health services in the affected areas, medical tents for the delivery of health services to temporarily substitute for health facilities, transportation of medical supplies (by air where road access remains limited) and preparedness for potential outbreaks of diseases.5 Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) is continuing to operate the health response with the support of Figure 2: Photo from aerial assessment conducted on 03 May by international and national partners in Nepal. A toll-free International Medical Corps’ ERT hotline has been created and is available 24/7 to answer queries from the public regarding medical support and services. The ERT reports that population movements have occurred within and across districts subsequent to the earthquake. Those displaced by the earthquake have moved into tents/camps, or are staying with family or friends. However, populations in Kathmandu internally displaced person (IDP) camps have decreased, and many are only there at night. Additonally, access to remote villages has been identified as an ongoing challenge. The ERT reports that all organizations in Nepal have been requested to immediately strengthen their capacity and provide humanitarian assistance in affected areas outside of Kathmandu. Furthermore, the government has reiterated that priority areas include shelter and WASH, with a focus on procuring plastic sheeting and expediting the distribution process for relief supplies.

3 OCHA, Nepal: Earthquake 2015, Situation Report No.10, published 04 May 2015. http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHANepalEarthquakeSituationReportNo.10%284May2015%29.pdf 4 WHO, Emergency and Humanitarian Action, WHO Nepal Earthquake Health Update; Situation Report No. 13. Published 08 May 2015. 5 Ibid. Situation Report No. 04 Kathmandu, Nepal 08 May 2015

2. International Medical Corps response Primary Health Care (Dhading, Gorkha, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu Districts): International Medical Corps is delivering primary health care services to internally displaced persons via MMUs which have targeted four districts — Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Gorkha and Dhading. Future health programming will continue to focus on reaching the hardest- hit villages in Gorkha and Dhading Districts. The highest number of total consultations have been in Dhading District (411), followed by Gorkha District (370), Bhaktapur (152), and Kathmandu (55). Overall, the highest number of cases seen by International Medical Corps First Responders have been Figure 3: International Medical Corps’ team constructing latrines in Kathmandu. traumatic injuries, gastritis, and upper respiratory tract infections, followed by skin diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). WASH: In Lalitpur, the WASH team has installed 20 latrines in three different IDP sites — Bungamati, Kokana, and . There are six additional latrines under construction in Godavari and Badagaon. The ERT has identified five additional sites for latrine construction in . On 06 May, the WASH team began construction of three latrines in Dhading Besi, Dhading, with plans to construct an additional five latrines. WASH programs are focused on safe water provision, water system rehabilitation, hygiene promotion and community led sanitation, ensuring households have latrines and that open defecation is not occurring in communities; MMUs in Gorkha observed open defecation in three Village Development Committees (VDCs): Laprak, Singla and Kerauja. MHPSS: International Medical Corps plans to support psychological first aid (PFA) trainings across three districts — Gorkha, Dhading, and Kathmandu. The first of 13 International Medical Corps supported trainings in Dhading started on 06 May, and was conducted by a local NGO, Integrated Community Development Campaign. In addition, International Medical Corps supported one LNGO, Kopila Nepal, for one PFA training. International Medical Corps also supported the Figure 4: International Medical Corps First Responder mental hospital in Kathmandu in providing PFA training on 07 attending to a patient in Bhaktapur. May. The training targeted medical and mental health staff responding to earthquake survivors. Health Systems and Information Management: International Medical Corps is monitoring key indicators in primary health care and nutrition at three levels — district, Village Development Committee (VDC), and ward, using the Emergency Response Information System (ERIS). The ERIS system is feeding into the Ministry of Health’s surveillance efforts by monitoring diseases of epidemic potential and submitting daily reports at the district and national levels.

For additional information, please contact: Chris Skopec, Response Management Lead (HQ) [email protected] Sean Casey, Emergency Response Team Lead (Nepal) [email protected]