Valley hospitals ill-prepared for a major quake: NSET


Experts have warned that hospitals in the Kathmandu valley are ill prepared to handle a major earthquake.

A survey conducted by the National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET) has revealed that 80 percent of the hospitals in Kathmandu would be completely damaged if an earthquake of 8.0 Richter scale hit the valley. Currently, there are 14 major hospitals operating in the capital valley.

Addressing an interaction organised by Physicians for Social Responsibility ?Nepal (PSRN) at Kathmandu model hospital on Saturday, general secretary of NSET Amod Mani Dixit said a major quake could destroy up to 60 percent of the total buildings the capital valley.



Is it safe? Bir hospital in Kathmandu (File Photo)
A study conducted by NSET for Kathmandu Metropolitan city sometime back projected that up to 40,000 people could be killed and around 100,000 others would be injured seriously if an earthquake of 8.0 Richter scale or above hit the valley. The study said such a quake would severely damage roads, hospitals, electricity and water supply system and other infrastructure.

Surya Narayan Shrestha, a senior engineer, said there was there was a need to conduct detailed seismic vulnerability analysis of hospitals and residential buildings. ?It is necessary to bring out comprehensives emergency preparedness plan in every hospital to minimize the possible loss of lives and property due to such a calamity,? he added.

Prof. Pradip Vaidya, national coordinator of Hospital Preparedness for Emergency (HOPE) project said Nepal had failed to make effective preparedness plan to minimize the hazards of that impending calamity.

Meanwhile, talking to Nepalnews, Dixit?who recently returned to Kathmandu after visiting quake-hit areas of Pakistan?said Nepal needed to learn lessons from all the quakes in the Himalayan region including Pakistan. ?The key lesson is preparedness. Despite facing a huge risk of a major quake we are still largely unprepared,? he added.

?There is a need to integrate natural disaster preparedness strategy in the national development plans from the center all the way down to villages. We have got knowledge, skills and construction of quake-resistant houses is also affordable,? said Dixit.

He dismissed reports that risk to Nepal had gone down due to September quake in Pakistan. ?In fact, a high risk of a major quake is impending in Nepal than any time in the post. Huge increase in population and rapid growth in house construction have only added to such risks,? he warned