Hospital 'completely over capacity' as Vanuatu requests international assistance after massive quake

Wellington, Dec 19 (IANS) Vanuatu's hospital facilities were "completely over capacity" as the Pacific Island nation requested international assistance after a massive quake.

"I did visit the main hospital Vila Central when I was in Vanuatu last year, and they were completely over capacity," Michelle McCrystall, climate scientist at the University of Auckland, said on Thursday.

The earthquake, described by locals as a "violent, high-frequency vertical shake," left at least 14 people dead and more than 200 injured so far after buildings collapsed, and an initial tsunami warning has since been lifted.

"Hospital facilities in Vanuatu are already stretched with limited resources and lack of good medical equipment and are making do with second-hand equipment for the health provisions for the entire country," McCrystall said, adding the deaths and injuries will stretch an already thin health industry that requires more nurses and doctors to provide adequate health care as well as substandard health equipment.

New Zealand aid flights arrived in Vanuatu on Thursday as the search for survivors continues, and hundreds of wounded are treated after the 7.3-magnitude earthquake caused strong shaking near the capital Port Vila, about 30 km from the epicentre, at 12:47 local time, with a depth of 43 km, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ian de Terte, a clinical psychologist at Massey University, said the earthquake in Vanuatu was tragic for the residents. As a country, it has had several disasters in the last decade.

The situation in Vanuatu remains concerning after a massive earthquake struck the country, and the government has requested international assistance, a UN spokesperson said on Wednesday.

UN humanitarians said that immediate needs include medical supplies and repair to medical structures, mobile medical teams, search and rescue teams with heavy machinery for clearing, as well as safe drinking water.

Prof. Behzad Fatahi of Civil and Earthquake Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney called on residents in Port Vila, as well as nearby countries like New Caledonia, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands, to remain alert for further shaking.

He also warned of secondary hazards, such as soil liquefaction and landslides, particularly in coastal cliffs and hilly areas west of Port Vila, where ground instability could worsen with aftershocks.

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