Pain, misery for forgotten victims

Photo / Geoff Sloan

The death toll in the Christchurch earthquake is getting the publicity, but many forgotten victims are facing permanent disability or life-long effects from injuries.

The February 22 disaster killed more than 166 people, but many others have serious head or spinal injuries or have lost limbs after being crushed or struck by collapsing buildings or falling debris.

The number of injured is still being tallied, but of the 300 to 400 people who went through Christchurch Hospital's emergency department in the 24 hours after the quake, about two-thirds were admitted to hospital, many with serious injuries.

By Tuesday, ACC had received 4460 earthquake-related claims.

Most were for strains, sprains and bruising, but eight have been classified as serious injury.

This means the patient is likely to have lifelong rehabilitation needs and reliance on ACC assistance, generally because of a brain or spinal injury.

The bill for ACC from the quake has been put at $370 million.

"Much of this will be paid in care, rehabilitation and income compensation that will be required for decades," said ACC Minister Nick Smith.

Dr Raj Singhal, of the Burwood Hospital spinal unit, said it had seen five quake victims with serious spinal cord injury and paralysis.

Another 18 to 20 patients had fractures of the neck and back.

One woman's back was fractured when she was hit by a chimney that fell into her home.

The unit would usually see four or five spinal cord injuries over a three-month period, but after the quake it saw that many in a day, he said.

Professor Mike Ardagh, a specialist in the Christchurch Hospital emergency department, said the 300 to 400 people seen in the 24 hours after the quake did not include many who sought help for less-serious injuries at makeshift triage centres or other "satellite" emergency departments around the city.

Those who had gone to Christchurch Hospital arrived in two waves, Professor Ardagh said.

"Initially we had a massive number in the first two to three hours. Children were being carried in by strangers and people were being brought in by car, and on tops of cars, because the ambulances were overwhelmed.

"Many had cuts and minor injuries - what you would call the walking wounded," Professor Ardagh said.

After a lull, the second wave came, including "quite sick" patients who had been dug out of rubble with head injuries, broken bones and "crush injury syndrome".

This occurs where a heavy weight presses on a person for a long time. The pressure destroys muscles and releases toxins into the blood stream, leading to heart and kidney problems or amputations.

"There will be a number who will take a long time to recover, or will have permanent injury from this," Professor Ardagh said.