Cali's medical system has stabilized four days after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northwestern Colombia as the city has moved past its most critical emergency phase, and hospitals started to resume normal operations, health officials said Thursday.
At least four medical facilities in the city closed due to infrastructure damage after Monday's devastating earthquake, pushing other hospitals to full capacity.
The Nuestra Senora de los Remedios Clinic, a main medical facility treating the injured, has admitted approximately 130 patients.
"We received patients with all kinds of conditions. There were critically injured patients requiring surgery, as well as many patients with limb injuries, fractures, and sprains, and patients with head trauma. Most of them required surgery, and some needed intensive care," said Claudia Garcia, medical director of the clinic.
Ana Zapata, a patient discharged after surgery on Thursday, fractured her left foot while fleeing the quake.
"The earthquake came very fast. I started going down the stairs and ended up tumbling down. Others fell on top of me. So I was injured in many places across my body, especially my legs," Zapata said.
As the pressure on emergency medical care eases, Cali will gradually resume regular medical services that were previously suspended, according to the city's health secretary German Escobar Morales, who noted that supplies of medicine and equipment are now adequate.
"Our medical services have now stabilized. Many patients have been successfully discharged and have returned home. I believe we have passed the most critical initial treatment phase. We are also waiting for the aftershocks to subside and the situation to become safer, so that we can gradually resume services that were previously suspended, including outpatient services and scheduled surgeries," Morales said.
Medical system stabilizes in Colombia's hard-hit Cali after 7.5-magnitude quake
Medical system stabilizes in Colombia's hard-hit Cali after 7.5-magnitude quake
