'The health system in Nepal is not prepared for this'
asserted
system → prepare → this
"There's nothing left there," says Shushma Bhusal, the regional lead for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
asserted
Bhusal → be → Societies
A lot of houses have just been washed off."
Bhusal is describing parts of Bidur municipality after the flood.
asserted
Bhusal → wash → flood
Before disaster struck, it was a bustling place, home to about 60,000 people.
asserted
it → strike → people
Hundreds of homes and businesses hugged the Trishuli River, which cuts a winding path through the Nepali Himalayas.
asserted
which → hug → Himalayas
Now Bhusal sees only devastation.
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Bhusal → see → devastation
Across the river, Trishuli hospital served the larger region.
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hospital → serve → region
But the bridge to get there was destroyed by the enormous torrent of water, mud and debris unleashed by a collapsed glacier on Aug. 26.
asserted
bridge → get → Aug.
"The time taken to cross the bridge in normal times was just 10 minutes," says Bhusal.
asserted
Bhusal → take → times
"Now it takes about 10 hours for people to go and walk through the trail and get to the other side of the river.
asserted
people → take → river
It leaves the people here in Bidur out of access to health services.
asserted
It → leave → services
It's a situation playing out across communities along the river, imperiling the physical and mental health of tens of thousands.
asserted
It → play → thousands
"It's an unbelievable disaster," says Padam Simkhada, a global health researcher from the area who is now at the University of Chester.
asserted
who → say → Chester
"The health system in Nepal is not prepared for this.
asserted
system → prepare → this
"
Damaged infrastructure, disrupted care
The floods killed at least 1,200 people in Nepal and neighboring Tibet, according to authorities.
uncertain
floods → disrupt → authorities
The disaster also completely destroyed or damaged at least seven hospitals and health centers, says Allison Gocotano, the World Health Organization representative to Nepal.
asserted
Gocotano → destroy → Nepal
While some hospitals remain functional, "access remains hindered because of the road blockages," he says.
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he → remain → blockages
The damage is making it harder to care for those injured by the floods.
asserted
it → make → floods
It's also disrupting routine medical care.
asserted
It → disrupt → care
"We know in the community there are pregnant women who have delivery dates in the next few weeks," says Abhilasha Gurung, a health specialist with UNICEF in Nepal.
asserted
Gurung → know → Nepal
The aid organization is in the process of setting up medical tents to provide that basic care.
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organization → set → care
She says they've also distributed basic items, including hygiene kits and bed nets to protect against mosquitoes, to 19,000 people.
asserted
they → say → people
People with chronic conditions requiring medication, like diabetes, hypertension or cancer, are especially vulnerable in crises like these, says Simkhada.
asserted
Simkhada → require → these
"Even if they survive because they ran away, they lost their medication.
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they → survive → medication
Even if there is another supply, they don't know [the] dosage," he says.
asserted
he → be → dosage
"People who already have chronic conditions even become worse."
asserted
who → have → conditions
As health officials scramble to shore up this basic medical care, they're also on the lookout for new threats.
asserted
they → scramble → threats
Clean water is hard to come by, as the floods contaminated water systems and damaged infrastructure.
asserted
floods → come → infrastructure
That's raising fear of waterborne diseases, says Simkhada.
asserted
Simkhada → raise → diseases
"There is a high risk of an epidemic that could be cholera, diarrheal disease.
uncertain
that → be → epidemic
Thousands of survivors are being relocated into cramped temporary shelters where airborne diseases like tuberculosis could spread.
uncertain
diseases → relocate → tuberculosis
The Ministry of Health has deployed technical staff to help beef up surveillance in these centers, says Gocotano, the WHO official.
asserted
Gocotano → deploy → centers
"The dead are gone, I am the one alive"
asserted
I → go → ?
The devastating floods have also left a mental health crisis.
asserted
floods → leave → crisis
Roughly 2,500 to 3,000 people are currently in temporary holding centers, including everyone rescued from the floods, says UNICEF's Gurung.
asserted
Gurung → include → floods
Many are grappling with profound loss.
asserted
Many → grapple → loss
Ayush Joshi, who works for the non-profit Save the Children in Nepal, visited one such center in Nuwakot earlier this week.
asserted
who → work → Nuwakot
His visit was often interrupted by the sound of helicopters overhead, searching for survivors.
asserted
visit → interrupt → survivors
"Whenever a helicopter passed by, you would see children in these holding centers looking up in the sky," he says.
asserted
he → pass → sky
"Not just one child, it's like every child, they just look up."
asserted
they → look → child
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
