Nepal earthquake: Links to donate - urgent medical supplies and funds needed | St George & Sutherland Shire Leader

‘‘A friend of mine is at base camp, and we do not know for sure if he is OK yet - no word since the Avalanche . ‘‘This is his second attempt at the summit. ‘‘Last year they returned from base camp due to the Sherpa accident. ‘‘Our thoughts are with all those affected.’’
- Rob Higgins, Facebook

A senior emergency physician at Sutherland Hospital has confirmed that hospitals in earthquake-ravaged parts of Nepal are running out of medical supplies and fuel to power generators.

Gina Watkins said doctors were now treating patients in make-shift tents outdoors while trying to identify the deceased.

Dr Watkins had been speaking about earthquake preparedness at a disaster and emergency conference last week in Kathmandu.

She left Nepal on Wednesday, April 22, and has been in constant telephone contact with doctors in Nepal since a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit on Saturday, April 25.

‘‘They have some emergency generators but they only have stocks of fuel for about 48 hours and if they don’t get more supplies, it will be a problem,’’ Dr Watkins said.

‘‘Hospitals were responding well in the first 24 hours until supplies started running out.’’

The Nepalese government does not fund medical treatment.

Dr Watkins urged people to make a donation no matter how small to the Red Cross Nepal Region Earthquake Appeal 2015.

Indra Shrestha of South Hurstville, who moved from Nepal to Sydney with his family in 2010, was shocked when he heard about the earthquake.

He was on Skype with his relatives when the call suddenly disconnected.

‘‘I then called my brother, who is 20 kilometres from the main city, on his mobile, and he was fine,’’ he said.

Luckily his relatives escaped unscathed, but he said the event was distressing.

‘‘They are alive, but people including neighbours I knew were trapped inside houses,’’ he said.

His former school, in Sankhu, a main town in Kathmandu district, was destroyed.

‘‘I went there for holidays in 2012, and to hear that my school is gone and all of these historic buildings...it’s very sad,’’ he said.

‘‘But it’s great to see countries like Australia helping out — people are very generous.’’

Mr Shrestha’s two children attend Carlton South Public School, which has a large Nepalese enrolment.

Pukar Bhupal Singh, an international student who moved from Nepal to Rockdale to study, was in his home town of Kathmandu last week.

‘‘I was lucky I came home early,’’ he said.

‘‘My family is all right but it’s difficult to get through to friends because the telecommunications are damaged.

‘‘The death toll will rise because the count has only been in urban areas, not remote parts.’’

Details: 1800 811 700, donations.redcross.org.au

Australian Embassy in Kathmandu: (+97711) 4371678 or the consular emergency centre at Canberra 62613305.

Schools offer support:

Carlton South Public School is one of many schools and organisations in southern Sydney wanting to support those affected by the Nepal earthquake.Relieving principal Darren Galea said the school had a lot of families from Nepal in its community.

"The Nepalese community are the fastest growing in this area. It's important for children to know we are thinking about their communities.''
- Carlton South Public School relieving principal Darren Galea

‘‘Carlton, Rockdale and Kogarah areas have a lot of Nepalese immigrants,’’ he said.‘‘In fact, in recent years we have had more people from a Nepalese background enrol at our school than from any other language background.

‘‘We spoke about the tragedy a little at our morning assembly, and I’d like our senior representative council to organise a fund-raiser.

"The Nepalese community are the fastest growing in this area. It's important for children to know we are thinking about their communities.''

We might only raise a couple of hundred dollars but it’s a small token of what we can do.’’

How to donate:

UNICEF

1300 884 233, unicef.org.au

Save The Children

1800 760 011, savethechildren.org.au

World Vision Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund

Phone 13 32 40, worldvision.com.au

Care Australia

1800 020 046, care.org.au/nepal