Spread devastation and flooding across the islands of Vanuatu in the southwest Pacific
A month after Cyclones Judy and Kevin spread devastation and flooding across the islands of Vanuatu in the southwest Pacific, water-borne diseases are escalating among children in the capital, Port Vila, and in rural communities.
Hospitals and health facilities are struggling to cope with the surge in cases as they continue to repair the damage caused to their facilities by the storms.
“Prior to the cyclone, we were experiencing a surge of acute gastroenteritis. That was two weeks prior to the cyclone. After the cyclone, the numbers just shot up and increased. Initially, one-third of the children’s ward was full with acute gastroenteritis patients but that has increased to 50 percent of the ward bed capacity,” Dr Orelly Thyna, head of pediatrics in Vanuatu and chairwoman of Port Vila Central Hospital’s emergency operating centre.
The ward, which has beds for 22 children aged 13 and under, is now accommodating up to 30 sick young children at any time. As more patients arrive every day, hospital management has been asked for extra space, Dr Thyna added.
The children’s wards at the hospital suffered serious damage during the disasters. “We had flooding inside the children’s ward and it wasn’t safe for the children. In the neonatal intensive care unit, the roof was blown away, so we had to move the babies away to somewhere safe. That, in itself, is a challenge with all the traumatising effect on the parents and families,” Dr Thyna said.
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