Earthquake in Pakistan--The Renal Disaster Relief Task Force in action

Following an earthquake, an International stream of help is launched. Teams of nephrologists, renal nurses and technicians from many European countries are ready as volunteers to come into action when needed. Basic help is necessary but what is the benefit of nephrologists and renal nurses, as the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force comes into action? The scouting team assesses the situation in the disaster area. Treatment of acute renal failure, hyperkalemia and Crush Syndrome can be life saving. The ability to accommodate dialysis treatment is investigated, in collaboration with local nephrologists. Belgian, French, Irish and Turkish colleagues who made up two teams, with Médecins sans Frontières (MsF) left for Pakistan following the devastating earthquake in October 2005. This is a report from one of the volunteers from the first team explaining the individual contribution that his mission made to the disaster.