Venezuela health system strained after earthquakes, WHO says

Venezuela's healthcare system is under significant strain, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, with some hospitals damaged and others missing staff after deadly twin earthquakes last week.

More than 1,700 people have been killed and 5,000 injured after hundreds of buildings were flattened or damaged by the back-to-back 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes.

At least three health centres are critically damaged and six others are damaged or only partially functional, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told a Geneva press briefing.

"The rest remain operational (but) under significant strain," he said, referring to a survey of 21 health facilities.

"Preliminary findings reveal chaotic service delivery and patient flow, marked by overcrowding (and) growing surgical backlogs," he added.

Several healthcare workers specialised in maternity care in La Guaira remain missing, he said, creating what he called a critical gap in obstetric care.

The thousands of people displaced by the quakes are also at risk of disease outbreaks like yellow fever and dengue, especially given relatively low vaccination coverage, he said.

-Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by Friederike Heine/Reuters