Abhishek Tamang, 4, looks on after receiving medical treatment, following the earthquake, at Dhading hospital, in Dhading Besi, Nepal on April 27, 2015. Reuters Photo/Athit Perawongmetha
The situation in Nepal isn’t good. The death toll now stands at over 6,000 and is growing by the day. And many, many more are seriously injured or simply unaccounted for. The people of Nepal need help from the outside community, and every bit counts.
Earthquakes are terrible disasters and even more horrific in places where infrastructure is poor. I’ve been in a handful of earthquakes myself, including the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.9, and the 1999 earthquake in Turkey, which had a magnitude of 7.6 and claimed over 17,000 lives.
The earthquake in Nepal was even larger, with a magnitude of 7.8. The only reason we’re not seeing tens of thousands of lives lost is simply due to fewer people living in the area.
The life sciences community is all about helping people; therefore, pharma, medical device, and research organizations alike should step up the plate and provide assistance, whether it’s money or donated products. It can be uncomfortable to be empathetic in situations like this, but if you can, you might experience the pain Nepal is feeling today.
For those interested in making an online donation, I’ll offer my personal opinion. In a past life, I worked closely with Doctors Without Borders on their fundraising efforts and can vouch for the honorable and honest work they do. They put every dollar to good use and are rated four stars on Charity Navigator. To see the other organizations that have committed to providing relief assistance in Nepal, click here.
