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Asia earthquake: 'We are treating everything that you could possibly treat under these conditions'

"More than a week after the disaster we are still seeing terrible, terrible injuries that still have not been taken care of. Many wounds are severely infected and need to be cleaned urgently to prevent patients from dying from sepsis.

"I've seen an enormous scalp injury, where the skin has come off big parts of the skull and was just hanging to the side. Sajita, our Canadian doctor, has disinfected the wound and stitched the skin back together.

"I've seen limbs almost cut off, I've seen dead hands. The severely injured patients are taken to the tent next door where a group of Pakistani surgeons from Karachi does a really great job. On Friday alone, they have done 36 surgeries. We are working hand in hand and like this we are treating everything that you could possibly treat under these conditions.

"People are carrying injured to us from faraway places. This morning, fewer patients have arrived due to bad weather. It is difficult and also dangerous for them to move because heavy rains still sets off landslides. Fortunately, the sky is clearing up a bit and there is a chance that the helicopter will be able to bring additional supplies, antibiotics for instance. We still have some but the stock is fading away quickly.

"Higher up, the mountains are covered with snow by now which points to what is most urgently needed out here: tents, tents, tents. Shelter for the homeless is absolutely lacking."