Five volunteers from MSF-HK left for quake-stricken area in Sichuan, China

After the massive earthquake in Sichuan province, China, five Hong Kong volunteers of Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) departed to Sichuan yesterday to assess and provide assistance. They are namely the former President of MSF Hong Kong Dr. Emily Chan, nephrologist Dr. Philip Li, orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Oliver Yiu, logistician Ms. Alice Chow and information coordinator Ms. Joanne Wong.

According to the official media, the earthquake in Sichuan killed more than 20,000 people, and more casualties are expected. Three MSF teams are already in Sichuan to assess the situation. Relief materials including medicines, medical materials and sanitation kits will be delivered in the coming days.

Dr. Emily Chan joined MSF in 1998 and has taken part in MSF’s medical and humanitarian projects in Guangxi, China and Kosovo. In 1998, she assisted the team to assess the situation and make assistance target and plans after massive flood in Guangxi. Dr. Chan is currently the advisory committee member of the Board of MSF Hong Kong. She is also working full-time as Assistant Professor of the School of Public Health of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, with the research speciality in assessment, management and contingency of catastrophic events like earthquake and floods.

Before her departure, Dr. Chan said that victims may suffer from diarrhoea and respiratory infections if the hygiene situation is bad after the catastrophe. Therefore she hopes to go to different affected areas and assess where has unmet need, and then offer assistance. She also said that the underground electric cables or gas pipes may be damaged or exposed in earthquake. Victims should be careful, and avoid running around or dig the debris. Furthermore, it is also important to provide health education to the victims, such as beware of hygiene and avoid drinking contaminated water.

Dr. Oliver Yiu worked in post-earthquake medical project in Pakistan before. He said that the most common cases in earthquake is fractures and for those who suffer from crush which leads to muscle necrosis, they need amputation. Hence an orthopaedic surgery is important to earthquake victims.

"I have assisted the aftermath of the Pakistan earthquake, treating many patients with complications, and so I have more equipped psychologically and capability," he shared.

From the logistical aspect, Alice Chow, who has participated in Tsunami emergency relief work, said that carrying out relief work in earthquake affected area may be harder than in tsunami affected area. It is because tsunami washes away all the things, but the earthquake stricken area is full of rubbles and even leads to land-collapse, which increase the difficulty in finding suitable site for setting up health posts. She also said that except providing clean water for the victim, sewage disposal should not be over looked, otherwise it will greatly affect the hygiene condition.

Another MSF volunteer, Dr. Philip Li, who was a nephrologists and the council member of Hong Kong Society of Nephrology, left for Chengdu, Sichuan yesterday morning to assess the medical need of local hospitals, especially the treatment of the crush syndrome. Crush syndrome is a condition in which muscle tissue damaged by severe internal injury may release massive quantities of toxins into the bloodstream and lead to kidney failure. Left untreated, crush syndrome can be fatal.