Colombia earthquake: Hospitals adapt to save lives amid widespread damage

Cali, Colombia – At the University Hospital of the Valle Evaristo Garcia, health workers in blue scrubs moved briskly through the courtyard on Wednesday, beneath a white facade split by deep fissures.The rear of the hospital – a major public medical centre in Colombia’s Cali – had partially collapsed on Monday, after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the west of the country, killing at least 273 people and injuring at least 3,800 others. The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said 377 people are still missing as the crucial three-day rescue window passes.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Colombia declares three days of mourning after deadly earthquakelist 2 of 4Search efforts in Colombia enter ‘final phase’ as quake toll reaches 265list 3 of 4Photos: Hope fades in Colombia as teams dig for earthquake survivorslist 4 of 4Colombia earthquake response tests new far-right governmentend of listCarlos Naranjo, a general practitioner at the hospital, said some 50 percent of the facility was damaged. “There is extensive structural damage; some walls are no longer stable, some ceilings have collapsed, and it is still dangerous to walk through,” he told Al Jazeera.With mo...