Hospitals Overwhelmed Following 7.2 Earthquake in Haiti

Hospitals Overwhelmed Following 7.2 Earthquake in Haiti

On August 14, a 7.2 magnitude quake destroyed thousands of homes and buildings in Haiti.

On August 14, a 7.2 magnitude quake destroyed thousands of homes and buildings in Haiti.

Haiti's Civil Protection Agency said the death toll from the disaster had climbed to 1,297.

The agency also said that hospitals were struggling to cope as approximately 5,700 people had been injured in the quake.

The worst hit region was in Southwestern Haiti, especially in the area in and around the town of Les Cayes.

According to Reuters, in the northwestern city of Jeremie, another badly effected area, healthcare centers have run out of space.

We do have a serious issue.

There are very important facilities that are dysfunctional as we speak and those that are functional are receiving an overflow of patients, Jerry Chandler, head of Haiti's Civil Protection Agency, via Reuters.

The agency said that an estimated 13,694 houses had been destroyed, suggesting that number was expected to rise.

Nearby countries have rushed to send desperately needed food, medicine and search and rescue personnel.

Samantha Power, the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, said that the U.S. had dispatched supplies and deployed a 65-person urban search-and-rescue team.