 |
Search : | ||
|
|||
News
|
News stories
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
30 May 2003 by Rana Sidani in Reghaia The echo of his friend’s last words keep going around Tawfik Bouyaffar’s head and he finds it difficult to sleep nowadays. His friend Toukan insisted on going back to their damaged building in Reghaia with a couple of neighbours, to pick up a few belongings. When he arrived home, Toukan came out on the balcony to ask Tawfik if he needed anything. Tawfik yelled at him to get off the balcony because it was criss crossed with large cracks caused by 21 May earthquake. Just as Toukan was answering: “Don’t worry, I am safe!” the earth shook again. It was a strong aftershock (5.2 on the Richter scale). The fifteen-floor building, which housed 90 families before the main earthquake, collapsed, taking with it three lives and the echoes of Toukan’s words. The city of Reghaia is half-way between Algiers and Zenmouri, in one of the most affected zones. Since then, 38-year-old Tawfik has changed - he is hyperactive, he hears voices, he imagines his friend will soon come out of the rubble alive. For help, Tawfik went to the Basic Health care Unit, established by the Spanish Red Cross and the Algerian Red Crescent in Reghaia’s school. Two psychologists took care of Tawfik; they encouraged him to talk about what had happened. The Unit, fully operational since yesterday (29 May), is not only providing a traumatised population with psychological support, it is also healing injuries and treating a series of ailments. “The cases we are receiving are injuries due to the earthquake and respiratory problems caused by the dust from building demolition,” explains Dr. Carlo Urkia, who heads the unit. “Many patients suffer from stress, trauma and stomach problems caused by constant fear,” he adds. After a preliminary assessment of needs in the area, the Spanish Red Cross decided, in collaboration with the Algerian Red Crescent and the International Federation team, to dispatch the unit to Reghaia, where it is able to treat 500 patients a day. The unit has 20 beds and includes several departments, including a pharmacy. The team is composed of two doctors who are specialists in intensive care, and four nurses. “Six local doctors have volunteered to help us cope with the needs,” notes Dr. Urkia. “They are specialists in internal medicine, paediatrics, respiratory diseases, psychology and psychiatry.” Patients began arriving as soon as the unit was set up. Sahrawi Bin Zeitoun came with his 15-year-old daughter Naima. She had been vomiting for two days and hurts all over. “The doctors gave her appropriate medicines and she was also assisted by a psychologist,” her father explains. “God sent us the Red Cross and Red Crescent to ease our suffering and protect our dignity. They are treating us as brothers, although we don’t have the same mother,” he adds. The psychological service offered by the unit is responding to an essential need. “People are shocked, traumatised, agitated, and some have lost a lot of weight. Most patients are now in the second phase of depression, characterised by pain all over the body and an aching stomach,” explains Dr. Kharoub Naima, psychiatrist. Salma Khalif, a psychologist, decided to put her expertise at the disposal of the unit. “I treated a woman call Najat who fainted during the quake. When she woke up she had lost her voice. I am assisting her in expressing her fears in writing and drawing,” she said. “I think she will be able to talk within a few days.” Najat’s lost voice and the echoing voices in Tawfik’s mind are only a few of the tragic stories among Algeria’s earthquake victims. The population is so traumatised that even ordinary noises like a car’s horn, a slammed door or a dog barking startles them … they could be the signal of another tremor. Related Links: More on the earthquake in Algeria Algerian Red Crescent Psychological support Make a donation |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
