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Christchurch Hospital says it is coping well after this morning's earthquake but says there are more people coming in suffering from shock and a higher than usual number of heart attacks.
Chief medical officer Nigel Millar said the hospital was now almost functioning normally, with its power and water supply back on. Staff are working to get other hospitals' power back on, but hospitals can rely on generators until it is restored.
Initially Christchurch Hospital had a major influx of people with minor injuries and a few with moderate injuries. Injuries were dealt with quickly and the hospital has had a great response from the general practitioners who are running their after hours clinics.
During an emergency: use safe cooking and washing water
The following household facilities can be used to cook, wash dishes, and wash your hands:
1. Hot water cylinder
2. Toilet cistern - as long as no chemical toilet cleaner is
present
3. Bottled water
4. Spa/swimming pool - can be used to wash yourself and your
family.
Boil or purify water before using it in food preparation, and to avoid cross-contamination of food. Once boiled, cover and store in a clean container and place in the fridge (if it's working) or in some other cool place.
Re-boil the water if it is not used within 24 hours.
If you do not have power to boil water then purifying tablets or bleach can be added to ensure its safety.
Add five drops of household bleach per litre of water and leave for 30 minutes.
During an emergency: minimise food and water spoilage
During an emergency normal household appliances such as fridges and ovens may break down or lack power, food could spoil faster and the water supply could become contaminated.
To avoid this happening follow the steps below:
1. Eat perishable foods, for example bread and meat first, as
they spoil faster than non-perishable food
2. Eat canned foods last
3. Minimise food spoilage by opening the fridge or freezer only
when you need to take food out
4. Do not eat vegetables or fruits that have been lying in flood
water
5. Cover all food with plastic wrap or store in waterproof
containers
6. Leave bottles, drink cans and water containers in the fridge (if
it's working) to keep things cold
7. Throw out rotting or tainted food before it spoils other
food.
During an emergency: focus on hygiene
Maintaining hygiene around food preparation and cooking requires more thought than normal.
8. Always wash and dry your hands before preparing food - if
water is in short supply keep some in a bowl with
disinfectant
9. Ensure all utensils are clean before use
10. Cook food thoroughly
11. Cover all food with plastic wrap or store in waterproof
containers
12. Keep a supply of fly spray
13. Rubbish containing food scraps must be protected from flies
and rats by wrapping or putting in a sealed container.
After an emergency: ensure food is safe
Knowing what is safe to eat during the 'clean-up' phase after an emergency can become a guessing game. Understand what may or may not be safe to eat:
Any food that retains ice crystals and where the packaging has not been damaged or opened can be safely refrozen
Defrosted food cannot be refrozen
Foods that have been defrosted can still be used if they have just recently defrosted and can be kept cold, i.e. the fridge is working again
Inspect the food - does it smell or appear different? (Has the colour changed and does it have a slimy texture?), if so it is probably unsafe to eat.
Do not use any tinned food that has been damaged (for example if the can has split seams or has been punctured).
Prepare a survival kit
You should always be prepared for a disaster. If you follow the guidelines above, they may help prevent you or your family from becoming ill.
Before the next disaster strikes: prepare a survival kit
There are many things you can do to minimise the impact on your health before disaster strikes. Put together an emergency food survival kit. Do it now and make sure you include the following items to last at least three days:
Canned and/or dried food - luncheon meat, ham, fish, fruits, vegetables, cereals, tea, coffee, powdered soup, salt, sugar, sweets, biscuits
A can opener
A primus/portable gas cooker or barbeque to cook on
Eating equipment - utensils, knives, pots, cups, plates, bowls, matches, lighters
Bottled water - 3 litres per person per day
Milk powder or UHT milk.
Check and renew food and water every year, taking into account medical or dietary conditions in your family. If you have babies or children, make sure they have enough suitable food.
If you live in a flood-prone area, keep your food survival kit above the likely reach of flood water.
For more information visit the Civil Defence Website.
Are you in Canterbury? Do you have images or video or CCTV footage of the earthquake? Send them into news@tvnz.co.nz
Share your experiences of the earthquake on our
messageboard at the end of this article:
Add a Comment:
Post new commentgordy said on 2010-09-09 @ 13:59 NZDT: Report abusive post
Im my 51 years on this earth I have never felt so pertrified..my first thoughts was we had been hit by a nuclear bomb and it was Armageddon. Never ever want to experience it again
schicken said on 2010-09-08 @ 19:15 NZDT: Report abusive post
I thought the same thing initially. However, another quake big enough to close or shift the cracks further is likely to be heard first and all the kids will most likely be fine. If a child does get swallowed up, I'm probably not going to have huge empathy for the media coverage or their parents, but until then, let the region have a little bit of fun. Education about health risks regarding contaminated water may be a good idea for all. :)
thinkaboutit said on 2010-09-06 @ 23:06 NZDT: Report abusive post
More great coverage tonight TVNZ especially highlighting the situation at individual community levels where people reported they felt abandoned. All credit to those organising themselves into community working groups at this level despite this. Arguably the recovery process would be greatly enhanced if these community groups were psychologically and practically supported by establishing official coordination centres at individual community levels.
Madeleine Ware said on 2010-09-06 @ 17:31 NZDT: Report abusive post
You're making some good points here. Perhaps some of the donations could be towards purchasing and setting up storage of these sorts of things. Individuals are also responsible for making their own preparations. I clean and keep old 3L juice bottles filled with water. Every now and then I water my house plants with one and refill it to refresh it.
Madeleine Ware said on 2010-09-06 @ 17:25 NZDT: Report abusive post
Why are they buying water? Aren't there several tankers about the city giving it away?