Reference :
V-P-SS-E-00754
Date :
18/09/2015
Caption :
Equatoria State, Maridi, evacuation queue. Patients with their caretakers await their turn to be taken to Juba.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
ICRC website, article of the 23rd September 2015:
Since 17 September, the ICRC and the South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC) have been working tirelessly to help the victims of the fuel truck explosion in Maridi, which claimed the lives of over 180 people. A full ICRC surgical team and 20 members of the SSRC have been working alongside resident medical staff at Maridi hospital.
Life at Maridi hospital is filled with pain and anguish. All of the 91 patients and their family members are anxiously awaiting signs of improvement.
Of the 160 patients who survived the explosion and were admitted to Maridi Hospital, 55 were evacuated to the Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan's capital, in the first 48 hours and another 14 last Monday. But the number of new patients seeking urgent medical care at Maridi hospital steadily increased to more than 90 over the weekend. Many of them had sustained severe burns over up to 90% of their bodies. Sixteen patients subsequently died.
Since 20 September, no new deaths have been reported. With the survival rate improving, the outlook has brightened considerably for the patients' families. Tents are being set up to provide greater comfort for the relatives, who have been in limbo, sleeping under the trees in the hospital yard.
Keeping germs away is vital following Maridi explosion
"Keeping germs away from the patients is our top priority. It's their only chance of survival," said Jan Wynands, the ICRC's on-site surgeon.
To counter the threat of infection, family members have been encouraged to organize a laundry service at the hospital to ensure that clean linen is provided regularly. An off-site waste disposal service has also been organized, and visits have been limited to two hours a day. Additional hygiene protocols, including the systematic use of gloves, aprons and masks, and strict rules about contact with patients, have been put in place.
The ICRC in Maridi has provided more than two tonnes of medical supplies over the past few days, and 30 operations have been performed each day, on average. Supplies were rushed in by helicopter on 19 September, thanks to a temporary suspension of Juba airport's usual weekend closures. Two days later, more patients were airlifted to Juba teaching hospital, which is now at maximum capacity, with its resources stretched to the limit to meet the needs of the growing number of patients.
"What matters most is getting patients through the initial shock and keeping them alive beyond day one," said Wynands. He went on to list the remaining priorities: avoiding infections in the first five to six days, and a week later, closing the wounds, with continuous treatment and care in as sterile an environment as possible.
Sadly, permanent scarring and long-term disabilities await many of Maridi's survivors. Physiotherapy, rehabilitation and reconstructive surgery will be necessary for those whose lives have been deeply marred by the fuel tank explosion.”
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
4000x6000
Orientation :
portrait
Colour/B&W :
colour
