Venezuela's healthcare system is under significant strain, the World Health Organisation said on Monday, with some hospitals destroyed and others left short-staffed following a pair of earthquakes that struck the country last week. More than 1,700 people were killed and roughly 5,000 injured when buildings collapsed after two successive quakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude.
At least three health centres have suffered serious damage, and six others have been destroyed or are only partly functioning, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told a press briefing in Geneva. The remaining facilities are still operating but under considerable strain, he said, referring to an inspection of 21 health facilities. Preliminary findings, he added, point to chaotic service delivery and patient flows marked by overcrowding and surgeries left waiting.
Lindmeier said many healthcare workers specialising in maternity care in La Guaira remain unaccounted for, creating a significant gap in obstetric services. He warned that the thousands of people displaced by the earthquakes also face a heightened risk of disease outbreaks, including yellow fever and dengue, particularly given relatively low vaccination coverage in affected areas.
