Earthquakes and rehabilitation needs: Experiences from Bam, Iran

Background: In December 2003, a devastating earthquake destroyed Barn and surrounding areas in Iran, leaving many people with residual deficits and disabilities, of which approximately 240 patients had spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: As an independent volunteer working in outpatient clinics, I visited the patients as part of a mobile team and set up a short educational course in spinal cord medicine. Results: I visited 34 patients with SCI in the first 3 months. Eight months after the disaster, I visited 54 patients with SCI, 29 female (53.7%) and 25 male (46.3%). Postdisaster problems were identified, including need for accurate data collection, identification of patients' conditions, attention paid to psychosocial issues, ethical dilemmas, and research needs. Conclusion: Disaster preparedness for earthquakes should include first aid and injury prevention, coordination of relief efforts, basic education and medical care, and short-and long-term rehabilitation needs. The major focus of rehabilitation medicine specialists' should be education of the general and professional population toward integrating the concept of rehabilitation.