My first day in Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad is half
over. They have set up a special 100 bed earthquake victim unit
and care is being provided free for patients transferred from
the north. CAT Scans and MRI's are also available for these pts.
as needed. So far have seen four paraplegics from spine
fractures and two with severe head trauma. The only neurosurgeon
in Shifa has been operating around the clock; another one from
US just arrived.  Unfortunately none of these are expected to
make any significant recovery and will be left bed bound in
diapers to suffer bed sores and other infections. The hosp. does
not know yet where these pts. will be sent to after there
hospitalization is over. There is talk of putting them in a
stadium; I guess the idea came from New Orleans. Most  patients
have at least one family member present. The attendant keeps
vigil 16 hours a day and is allowed to sleep on a bedside stool
3feet by 1foot in dimensions. The medicines and supplies
collected by friends and family were handed to the pharmacy,
were promptly classified by the pharmacist and are  being sent
to the earthquake victims as required. Donations are not used by
the hospital to care for paying customers. The sweaters that
were given to me for donation by some of you have been passed on
by the hospital to the patient attendants who basically have
nothing with them. Overall the care in Shifa for the earthquake
victims is exceptional considering third world country standards
and the catastrophic nature of this event. Teams are routinely
going to the northern villages to identify and transfer the
sickest patients. One team took a 4 hour mule trek over mountain
tops to get to a village that had buried 40 and had 70 injured
incl. children. The village elders refused to have their sick
transported to the hospitals despite the medical officer begging
them to cooperate.
        What is lacking is a plan for post-hospital care esp. for people
who require ongoing nursing and have no financial resources or a
home to go to. Also there is little communication between hundreds
of relief organizations and little medical clinics that are helping
victims. Sometimes one little tent hospital in Muzzafarabad cannot
fix a fracture because they do not possess the right nail not
knowing that another tent less than a mile away has nails to spare.
          The need for medicines is endless. They said the best and the
fastest way is via courier which bypasses the customs etc. and
the shipment comes directly to the hospital. Any medicine incl.
NSAIDs, pain meds, antibiotics, surgical dressings, plaster of
paris bandages, aquaplast bandages, cervical collars, canes,
crutches, lumbosacral corsets, suture material etc. will be
greatly appreciated. Some of these items are no longer available
in the local market or their prices have been jacked up
exorbitantly.

Their address is as follows:
Shifa International Hospital Ltd.
Sector: H-8/4 Islamabad, Pakistan
Attn: Medical Director.

        PIA will allow any passenger to take two extra pieces of luggage
free of charge with them so long as it contains relief goods.
        For any doctor who wishes to volunteer the process is relatively
pain free. Call the Medical Affairs Office, Dr. Malik Imad Khan
051-4446801 ext. 3564  No special paperwork is needed. The hospital
also can provide accommodation for volunteer physicians. They can't
find enough orthopedic surgeons but any pair of hands will do. Some
of the medical care in the earthquake ward is being provided by
demonstrators from the medical college. Surprisingly, there is no
arrangement for artificial limbs even in Islamabad so the patients
with amputations would have to travel to Lahore or Karachi. A
Pakistani made limb costs a couple of thousand rupees, a German
limb costs Rs. 75,000!

        Will write again soon maybe after a trip to Mansehra.
Regards,
Taimur Zaman