The Kashmir Earthquake Experience

On October 8, 2005, a major earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck the Himalayan region of Kashmir. Around 90,000 people died in the mass disaster. The Bone and Joint Hospital in Kashmir found itself in a relatively unique situation of having to deal with the orthopedic morbidity generated by this quake. The hospital received 468 patients over a period of 10 days, out of which 463 were received over the initial 5 days. The admission for a single day peaked at 153 patients on the third day. Due to the unprecedented admission in terms of numbers the hospital utilized outreach methods to streamline admission by sending out specialists to the affected areas. Manpower was judiciously utilized to concentrate specialist advise where required. Besides documenting the pattern of trauma, this paper throws light on some unforeseen problems faced in dealing with a large number of patients far exceeding the normal capacity of the hospital.