A week after powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela, hospitals in La Guaira, Caracas, and Miranda are overwhelmed and in urgent need of external assistance, according to an assessment by the UN-backed Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Authorities have reported 2,295 deaths, 11,267 injuries, and 12,841 people displaced or seriously affected by the quakes. At Vargas-IVSS hospital in La Guaira, 96 patients are confined to a ward designed for just eight beds. Rafael Medina Jiménez hospital in the same city has seen its capacity reduced from 108 beds to 35. The morgue is overwhelmed, the blood bank holds only 35 units, and both ventilators in the trauma unit are nonfunctional due to power outages. Communication systems such as phone and internet are also down, complicating patient tracking.

Venezuela's health system was already weakened before the crisis, with many hospitals experiencing shortages of up to 37% of essential medicines after years of underinvestment and financial difficulties.

In response, PAHO has established a 48-bed field hospital in La Guaira equipped with four intensive care posts and two operating theatres, with additional medical teams en route. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the release of $1.5 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies and the forthcoming arrival of 28 tonnes of medical supplies from Dubai.

He also acknowledged the remarkable efforts of local communities and national and international response teams, many of whom are personally affected by the earthquake.

Sources