Venezuela: Medical Care & Emergency Relief

Nearly two weeks after the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, the need for humanitarian aid only seems to be growing. Peace Winds’ medical team is treating survivors at field clinics in Caracas and La Guaira. In addition to earthquake-related injuries, our staff report a growing number of patients seeking treatment for chronic conditions that have worsened since the disaster. 

There are also concerns about the spread of infectious diseases like measles and cholera amid crowded shelters and tent encampments with poor sanitation. In response, Peace Winds is providing evacuees with items like clean water, hygiene supplies, sanitary pads, baby diapers and formula, and other baby supplies.  

“The most common symptoms we’re seeing now are vomiting and diarrhea,” says Jesus, a local dentist who joined the Peace Winds medical team as an interpreter. He and many other Venezuelans have stepped up to help, and many of the relief efforts–from distributing food and daily necessities to medical care–have been possible thanks to volunteers. 

“Many are also complaining of leg or back pain,” Jesus says. “So we examine them with ultrasound or X-rays.”

The Peace Winds team arrived in Venezuela equipped with portable X-ray and ultrasound equipment. This allows them to perform diagnostics that patients could otherwise only get by visiting the crowded, overloaded hospitals.

“The doctors and nurses are well-accustomed to this,” Peace Winds’ Dr. Mototaka Inaba says of his colleagues. “Medical care can be provided anywhere, as long as you have the space, the supplies, and the personnel. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a hospital or a clinic.”

Peace Winds initially set up operations and started treating patients last week near Parque del Oeste in Caracas, where roughly 5,000 evacuees were sheltering. But the clinic had to be moved this Monday, July 6, after evacuees were relocated from the park. Now, staff are traveling to hardhit La Guaira, and they have to set up in a different location each day depending on the constantly-changing needs. Yesterday, in what was a typical day, they treated 43 patients outdoors in intense heat and humidity. 

“The Venezuelan doctors here have been working tirelessly, without being able to go home or change clothes,” says Dr. Inaba. “I hope that our arrival allows them to get at least a little rest.”

In contrast, he reports that he is met with a cheerful, spirited mood when he walks through the evacuation areas. 

“But these are people who have lost their homes, and in some cases, their family members,” he reminds us. “The tension they are holding onto is bound to snap eventually. 

“We also anticipate seeing health conditions worsen for those with chronic, pre-existing conditions or injuries.”

Another physician on the Peace Winds team, Dr. Sachiko Morita, reflects that “sometimes medicine isn’t just about drugs and procedures. 

“In disaster medicine, people are often grappling with intense anxiety and stress. I think that truly listening, allowing patients to let go of what they are carrying, is another way we can care for them.”

Dr. Inaba shared the stories of two patients that have stuck with him. One was a mother who was injured when she was pinned under a collapsed wall while shielding her daughter.

“Just hearing her speak through the interpreter nearly brought me to tears. To think that such a small woman protected her daughter like that—it was truly amazing.

“There was also a pregnant woman who was worried about some abdominal pain she was having after the earthquake, so she came to us because she couldn’t get to an OB-GYN. I explained that I wasn’t an obstetrician, but I performed an ultrasound anyway. When she saw her baby kicking, she was overjoyed. She was moved to tears and absolutely delighted by the image on the screen. That moment made me happy, too.”

A new group of Peace Winds medical responders is on its way to reinforce the current team’s work. Donations help us continue to provide flexible support, both now and in the weeks and months ahead.