MORE than 30 children showed up at hospitals in St Catherine and St Andrew suffering from episodes of anxiety and traumatic injuries following the 5.6-magnitude earthquake which jolted the country on Monday morning.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton confirmed at a press conference on Monday afternoon that the children were seen at the Accident and Emergency departments of the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew and the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine.

Tufton said 21 children were brought in to Bustamante from six nearby primary schools.

“Four were admitted for observation – three with mild head injury and one post-seizure is a known epileptic patient. All are clinically stable, and 10 have been discharged, so far, while others were awaiting the observation period to be completed. Most were anxious and had no physical injuries,” the minister said.

Providing further information about the circumstances which led to the head injuries, regional director for the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) Errol Greene told the Jamaica Observer that two of the children were hit by falling concrete blocks from a classroom, and one was injured from a stampede when the children rushed to get out of the school building.

“The ones that had the head injuries are being assessed and the neurological tests are being done,” Greene said Monday.

Tufton, meanwhile, also said 14 children were seen at Spanish Town Hospital with episodes of anxiety, pointing out that they were clinically stable and reassured before being sent home.

In addition, the minister said that two patients were seen at the Linstead Public Hospital in relation to the earthquake. He further noted that the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) had one trauma patient who fell from a tree with resultant muscular skeletal injury.

On the impact of the earthquake on facilities in the four regional health authorities, Tufton noted that facilities in the North Eastern, Western and Southern Regional Health authorities did not suffer much damage to infrastructure.

“In St Thomas [there was] no major damage. Operations continue as normal both at the primary and secondary level. Some facilities have been closed just out of taking caution and doing some further inspections. In St Catherine, we had a few incidents. An autoclave fell at Greater Portmore and was damaged. [There is] some structural damage at Waterford Health Centre and Old Harbour Health Centre which requires some assessment. There were minor cracks noted at the Spanish Town Hospital, but operations are not affected,” he said.

Dr Tufton said that in Kingston and St Andrew five primary care facilities reported some structural damage, mostly minor, but a full assessment is to be done. These facilities are Harbour View, Bull Bay, Mavis Bank, Stony Hill and Edna Manley.

He said some facilities were left without electricity and water after the quake but these were restored gradually, and he made it clear that all public hospitals were operational. There were minor structural damages noted at Bustamante Hospital for Children, Kingston Public Hospital and Victoria Jubilee Hospital, and at the field hospital at St Joseph’s, where there was relocation of patients from the main building. The National Chest Hospital, Hope Institute and Sir John Golding were not affected, he said.

He further noted that the University Hospital of the West Indies also had some structural damages, primarily the administration building, that were being assessed. He said that private hospitals – Andrews, Nuttall and Medical Associates in the Corporate Area – had reported no damages so far.

At the same time, Greene said he is continuing to do his own assessment in his region and thanked the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, in particular the town clerk and the city engineer, for stepping in and offering to help with checking the structural integrity of the health facilities.

Stress and anxiety

The Ministry of Health and Wellness says individuals may experience stress, anxiety, and depression as common reactions to any disaster.

These include difficulty breathing; chest and muscle pains; feeling faint, dazed or lightheaded; sleeping too much or too little; stomach aches or headaches; anger, feeling edgy or lashing out at others; and overwhelming sadness.

It said that people may also be preoccupied with negative things that could have happened; worrying a lot of the time; feeling guilty but not sure why; feeling like you have to keep busy; experiencing lack of energy or always feeling tired; drinking alcohol, smoking or using tobacco more than usual; using illegal drugs; eating too much or too little; and not connecting with others.

The ministry is encouraging the public to look out for these warning signs in family and friends, but to also monitor themselves and seek medical attention as necessary.

“To minimise the effects of stress, anxiety and depression, persons are encouraged to: reach out to friends and family; encourage others to remain safe; get enough adequate sleep; re-establish and return to a routine, when it is safe to do so; know when to ask for help.

“Signs of stress can be normal, short-term reactions to any of life’s unexpected events — not only after surviving a disaster. It’s important to pay attention to what’s going on with you or with someone you care about, because what may seem like ‘everyday stress’ can be depression (including thoughts of suicide), anxiety, or alcohol/drug abuse,” the ministry said.

The public is encouraged to call the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline at 888-NEW-LIFE (888-639-5433). Individuals 16-24 years old can also reach out to the U-MATTER chatline by messaging the word SUPPORT to 876-838-4897 on WhatsApp and SMS (free for Flow customers); or @ureportjamaica on Facebook Messenger.