Venezuelan medics fear earthquake aftermath will trigger widening medical crisis

Doctors in Venezuela are sounding the alarm over a looming medical crisis in the wake of the country's devastating twin earthquakes. They fear a surge in untreated injuries and infectious diseases will overwhelm a healthcare system already strained by years of economic collapse, underfunding, and emigration.

Thousands of Venezuelans displaced by the June 24 quakes are living in crowded shelters or sleeping outdoors. These conditions, coupled with dismal sanitary standards and a lack of clean water, create fertile ground for disease outbreaks. Aid workers warn that extensive damage to infrastructure exacerbates these concerns, particularly regarding waste and debris management.

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The issue we foresee just around the corner is the infections that patients who have been exposed to the disaster for the longest time might bring.

"The issue we foresee just around the corner is the infections that patients who have been exposed to the disaster for the longest time might bring," said Eugenio Cova, head of the trauma unit at Hospital del Oeste Dr. José Gregorio Hernández in Caracas. He noted that the immediate trauma care is ongoing, but now complicated by the threat of infections.

International aid is flowing into the country, with the United States deploying 900 military personnel to support relief and rescue operations. The U.S. military has repaired a key runway to facilitate humanitarian aid and stationed naval assets offshore. The Trump administration has offered $300 million in assistance, channeled through aid groups and the United Nations. However, material damage from the earthquakes is estimated at over $6.7 billion, highlighting the vast needs.

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It's very hot and there's a lot of concern about potential vector-borne diseases. Waste management is an issue. Debris management, when you see the scale of devastation, it's very concerning.