A Surgeon's Tale
When the 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit northern Kashmir on 8th October 2005, one of he plastic surgeons who responded to the humanitarian disaster was Consultant, Haroon Siddiqui. This is his personal reflection of that event.
“The initial UK medical response was mostly via medical professionals with hereditary links to Pakistan. I, along with other UK-based plastic surgeons, was guided by colleagues who had travelled earlier to the region to help in the humanitarian effort and who had direct experience and first-hand knowledge of local facilities.
Encouraged by positive feedback describing the existing facilities and keen to help, I was offered a specific week in a locally-coordinated rota to provide help. Other colleagues were also allocated a week at a time, but some were able to give more of their personal time. I travelled with my anaesthetist, who had a special interest in pain management.
I was allocated to the Al Shifa Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi where we were offered free accommodation. Others opted to stay in local hotels. Larger facilities were also based at Abbottabad and nearer to the earthquake zone.
The Al Shifa had its usual ophthalmology theatre converted into a makeshift trauma theatre with three operating tables separated by screens. Each team was allocated patients whose operative plans had been agreed in daily meetings. I
was very fortunate that during my week a number of surgical teams from the UK were present and we were well-supported by local doctors and nurses, the latter assisted by British scrub nurses. We were provided a variety of surgical sets, including general plastic surgery and orthopaedics instruments.
During the week, I saw several rooms filled with patients. Many with significant, some life-threatening, injuries. Males and females were separated. We encountered significant barriers in communication with patients because of varying dialects and lack of understanding of injuries and outcomes. The respect and gratitude of the local community was enormous and heartfelt, and the whole experience was truly humbling.
After my allocated week of demanding and emotional work, I left feeling physically exhausted but mentally elated, hoping that we had made a small difference to the lives of people in need.”
Contributor: Haroon Siddiqui