Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

On the afternoon of 9 January, after arriving at Wajima Junior High School, an evacuation shelter in quake-hit Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, AMDA’s third relief team began providing medical assistance. Comprising one doctor, one nurse, and one pharmacist, the team took care of 36 patients in total.

As of 10 January, 566 people have been evacuated at the school, which is 78 more than the previous day. 

With three doctors, two nurses, one pharmacist, and three coordinators currently working at the site, AMDA has been catering to the evacuees’ medical needs 24 hours a day in response to the surge of infections. 
 
Most of the 47 patients the team saw on 10 January were suffering from infectious gastroenteritis. To control the spread of infectious diseases, separate rooms have been allocated to patients with novel coronavirus infections, the flu, and the aforementioned gastroenteritis.

As for the toilets, due to the possible breakage of sewer pipes, the shelter has resorted to using solidifying agents and plastic bags instead of water. (Each toilet unit is shared by 50 people.)

Meanwhile, AMDA’s fourth team (one doctor and one coordinator) joined the advance team in Wajima on the late afternoon of 10 January. 

After dropping by the city of Tomioka in neighboring Toyama Prefecture for procuring relief supplies, the fourth team arrived in Wajima after a six-hour drive. They managed to deliver goods such as disinfectant sprays, medical dressings, gauze, plasters, isolation gowns, and toilet cleaners to the shelter.

On a side note, Suwa Central Hospital (AMDA’s counterpart) in inland Nagano Prefecture will be dispatching their second relief team on 12 January.

AMDA will continue to monitor the situation around the school, and see if anyone needs medical assistance but is left unattended.