Gangtok hospitals confident and equipped to handle earthquake emergency

ANUPA RAI
GANGTOK, 21 Sept: As the earthquake shook the entire state on the night of 18 Sept, the two major hospitals of capital – STNM Hospital and the CRH – geared up to attend to the those injured in the incident.
The STNM Hospital, since the night of the disaster, has received more than 180 patients, with a fresh case, a 6 year old boy from 14th Mile [Tsomgo] brought to the hospital this morning with injury complications caused by the earthquake. 
Most of the cases required only first aid and minor attendance and at present only 12 with more severe complications are admitted here, informed the Additional Medical Superintendent, Dr. KB Gurung. The rest were OPD patients who sought medical attention for minor injuries.
The state’s biggest hospital, the Central Referral Hospital has so far received 74 earthquake affected patients, including the 16 admitted with fractures and two with head injuries. Two neurosurgeons, flown in from the Manipal Hospital are attending to patients suffering from head injuries, informed Medical Superintendent, Dr. Shamsher Singh while speaking to NOW!
While one of the patients with severe injuries brought to STNM Hospital succumbed to his injuries yesterday, two dead bodies were brought in for autopsy from Serathang.
At CRH, so far no fatalities have taken place.  
Both the hospitals are confident that the existing resources and manpower were enough to handle the situation and are equipped to take in more patients. “We have adequate facilities to deal with even more severe cases,” Dr. Singh reassured.
“Since the night of the incident, the entire staff, including the paramedical personnel, have been kept on round-the-clock alert,” informed Dr. Gurung.
STNM Hospital has 150 doctors.
STNM Hospital has also made arrangement to not only provide free medicines, but also meals to earthquake victims brought to the hospital.