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The latest official figures released by Venezuela’s Health Ministry show that 235 people have died and more than 4,300 have been injured after powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck the country on June 24th.
During a televised appearance on state broadcaster Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) on Thursday, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said emergency services across the National Public Health System had been fully activated immediately after the earthquakes, which were felt nationwide but caused the greatest destruction in the central region, including Caracas, Aragua, Carabobo, La Guaira and Miranda.
Alvarado said more than 5,000 healthcare professionals, including 1,200 doctors, had been mobilised to respond to the disaster.
“We are working as a single team, integrating doctors from the Ministry of Health, the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security (IVSS), Military Health, IPASME, and PDVSA,” he said.
“The entire Public Health System is attending to all the wounded arriving at our emergency rooms.”
The minister said the government had also coordinated with the Venezuelan Association of Private Clinics following instructions from acting President Delcy RodrÃguez.
He said 12 private clinics in the capital region had been made available to assist the emergency response.
Through that arrangement, more than 150 patients had already received treatment, with those suffering minor injuries discharged while patients requiring surgery or further treatment remained in hospital.
Providing the latest casualty figures, Alvarado said the public health system had treated more than 4,300 injured people by 7 p.m. on Thursday.
“Regrettably, we have received around 235 people who arrived without vital signs or who passed away upon reaching our health facilities,” he said.
“The highest number of affected individuals [is] located in the state of La Guaira.”
La Guaira has emerged as the area worst affected by the earthquakes, with hospitals there becoming overwhelmed by casualties.
Alvarado said military field hospitals had already been established in the region, alongside facilities provided by a private clinic, while an additional field hospital operated in Catia la Mar.
He added that another field hospital supplied by the Venezuelan Red Cross was expected to arrive the following day.
“There is already a field hospital from the National Armed Forces… there is also a field hospital located in Catia la Mar,” he said.
“By tomorrow, another hospital provided by the Venezuelan Red Cross will arrive.”
The minister also urged the public to ignore rumours circulating online about casualty figures and instead rely on official government updates.
“This time, we have consolidated that integration within the SPNS in alliance with the private sector,” he said.
“We have managed to optimally care for the patients who have arrived.”
Earlier on Thursday, acting President Delcy RodrÃguez visited some of the worst-hit areas, including Macuto in La Guaira, where search and rescue teams continued efforts to locate people trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
According to a government statement released following the visit, RodrÃguez inspected rescue operations alongside Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and National Assembly President Jorge RodrÃguez.
“We are here in Macuto, in the State of La Guaira, accompanying our people in the search and rescue of people who were trapped by structures and buildings that collapsed due to the double earthquake we experienced yesterday,” RodrÃguez said.
She said locating survivors remained the government’s immediate priority.
“We are accompanying the families,” she said.
“We extend our solidarity and we hope to recover as many people alive as possible.”
RodrÃguez also confirmed that Venezuela had requested international assistance to strengthen the rescue effort.
“We have requested international aid,” she said.
“The first rescuers arriving from the Dominican Republic are about to land, and in the coming hours, the rest [of the aid] from other countries and the international community will arrive.”
The acting president later travelled to the San Bernardino district of Caracas, where she inspected another collapsed building and met residents affected by the earthquakes.
“Our best wishes, all our hope, and all our prayers are placed on the lives of Venezuelans,” RodrÃguez said.
The earthquakes caused widespread structural collapses across several regions of Venezuela, with emergency services continuing to search damaged buildings for survivors.
Authorities have also established patient transfer networks to move those requiring specialised surgical treatment to hospitals in Caracas as rescue operations continue.
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