Medical aspects of mitigation of consequences of an earthquake in Tashkent on April 26, 1966

Relevance. Despite the extensive list of the publications devoted to mitigation of consequences of the Tashkent earthquake on April 26, 1966, medical aspects were not covered sufficiently. This article is the first to fill in this gap within nearly half a century. Intention. To identify the major factors and features of this earthquake which influenced activities of municipal health institutions. To consider causes and nature of damage as well as disease incidence in a local population due to the earthquake. To study approaches to organizational measures for elimination of medical consequences of the earthquake. Methods. This is a retrospective statistical study. This article is the first, among the domestic scientific literature, to analyze an extensive array of publications devoted to various medical aspects of mitigation of consequences of the earthquake in Tashkent on April 26, 1966. Results and Discussion. No more than 16 publications on the subject were found. Municipal health and sanitary service had to operate under unique conditions as compared to emergencies of similar scale. First of all, the earthquake was quite long: more than 1100 aftershocks were registered within the next year. At the same time, their maximum magnitude (7–9 according to the Richter scale) was observed in the first 3 months. The second factor was extensive destruction of most municipal hospitals and outpatient departments (84.3 % of medical institutions were damaged, including 15.7 % completely ruined and 72.5 % more or less disturbed). The third factor was few victims: 8 deaths and more than 200 injured. However, after a detailed study, cardiovascular mortality significantly increased over time. Special attention is paid to medical support of victims, including surgery, assessment of stress influence on cardiovascular diseases and prevalence of disadapative mental responses of the population. Conclusion. Despite the large scale accident, the number of victims was rather small. Most deaths were related to cardiovascular diseases were somewhat delayed. The municipal health service managed to provide health care for the population quickly. Owing to sanitary and hygienic measures, epidemics were prevented. To eliminate medical and sanitary consequences of the earthquake, only limited human resources were required, in particular about 100 healthcare professionals from various regions of the USSR arrived.

1. Ablyamitov F.Ya. Prekhodyashchie narusheniya mozgovogo krovoobrashcheniya v period tashkentskogo zemletryaseniya: (po dannym spetsializirovannykh nevrologicheskikh brigad skoroi pomoshchi) [Transient disturbances of a cerebral circulation in the period of the Tashkent earthquake] : Abstract dissertation PhD Med. Sci. Moskva. 1973. 22 p. (In Russ.)

2. Alimov Kh.A., Vaserfirer I.I. Nervno-psikhicheskie reaktsii u zdorovykh i somaticheskikh bol’nykh [Psychological reactions at healthy and somatic patients]. Tashkentskoe zemletryasenie 26 aprelya 1966 g. [Tashkent earthquake on April 26, 1966.]. Tashkent. 1971. Pp. 629. (In Russ.)

3. Dzhalilov Kh.A. Osobennosti organizatsii meditsinskogo obsluzhivaniya naseleniya v period likvidatsii posledstvii zemletryaseniya [Features of the organization of medical care for the population during mitigation of consequences of an earth quake]. Tashkentskoe zemletryasenie 26 aprelya 1966 g. [Tashkent earthquake on April 26, 1966.]. Tashkent. 1971. Pp. 621– 626. (In Russ.)

4. Dubrovskii S.L. Opyt sanitarnogo obespecheniya i gigienicheskaya otsenka effektivnosti meropriyatii po likvidatsii posledstvii tashkentskogo zemletryaseniya (26 aprelya 1966 g.) [Experience of sanitary providing and hygienic assessment of efficiency of actions for mitigation of consequences of the Tashkent earthquake (on April 26, 1966)] : Abstract dissertation PhD Med. Sci. Tashkent, 1971. 31 p. (In Russ.)

5. Dubrovskii S.L. Rabota sanitarnoi sluzhby Tashkenta v period likvidatsii posledstvii zemletryaseniya v 1966 g. [Work of public health service of Tashkent during mitigation of consequences of an earthquake in 1966]. Gigiena i sanitariya [Hygiene & Sanitation]. 1968. № 11. Pp. 87–89. (In Russ.)

6. Kadyrov A.M. K epidemiologii kishechnykh infektsii v gorode Tashkente v period zemletryaseniya i likvidatsii ego posledstvii [To epidemiology of intestinal infections in the city of Tashkent in the period of an earthquake and elimination of its consequences] : Abstract dissertation PhD Med. Sci. Moskva. 1970. 26 p. (In Russ.)

7. Kamilov F.K., Litvinova V.V., Sityaikova A.A. Skoraya i neotlozhnaya meditsinskaya pomoshch’ vo vremya zemletryaseniya. Skoraya i neotlozhnaya meditsinskaya pomoshch’ [Ambulance and emergency medical service during an earthquake]. Tashkent. 1969. Pp. 93–98. (In Russ.)

8. Kamilov F.K., Skoraya meditsinskaya pomoshch’ vo vremya zemletryaseniya v Tashkente 1966 g. [Emergency medical service during an earthquake in Tashkent 1966] Voprosy organizatsii skoroi meditsinskoi pomoshchi [Questions of the organization of emergency medical service]: Scientific. Conf. Proceedings. Moskva. 1970. Pp. 34–35. (In Russ.)

9. Katastrofy kontsa XX veka [Accidents of the end of the 20th century]. Ed. V.A. Vladimirov. Moskva. 2001. Pp. 5–15. (In Russ.)

10. Kravchenko V.V., Vakhov V.P. Dizadaptivnoe psikhicheskoe reagirovanie u sluzhashchikh s vlastnymi polnomochiyami, perenesshikh zemletryasenie [Disadaptive mental responses in employees with privileges who survived an earthquake]. Voenno-meditsinskii zhurnal [Military medical journal]. 1990. N 8. Pp. 76–77. (In Russ.)

11. Levchuk I.P., Tret’yakov N.V. Meditsina katastrof [Emergency Medicine]. Moskva. 2011. 238 p. (In Russ.)

12. Madzhidov N.M. Obshchie voprosy meditsinskoi sluzhby [General questions of health service]. Tashkentskoe zemletryasenie 26 aprelya 1966 g. [Tashkent earthquake on April 26, 1966.]. Tashkent. 1971. Pp. 620–621. (In Russ.)

13. Madzhidov, N.M., Karaev N., Ablyamitov F. Osobennosti vozniknoveniya klinicheskogo techeniya ostrykh narushenii mozgovogo krovoobrashcheniya [Features of emergence and clinical course of acute disorders of cerebral circulation]. Tashkentskoe zemletryasenie 26 aprelya 1966 g. [Tashkent earthquake on April 26, 1966.]. Tashkent. 1971. Pp. 621–626. (In Russ.)

14. Psikhologiya zdorov’ya [Health psychology]. Ed. G.S. Nikiforov. Sankt-Peterburg. 2006. 533 p. (In Russ.)

15. Raevskaya N.G. [et al.]. Nekotorye osobennosti techeniya beremennosti i rodov u zhenshchin v period zemletryaseniya [Some features of a course of pregnancy and labors in women in the period of an earthquake]. Tashkentskoe zemletryasenie 26 aprelya 1966 g. [Tashkent earthquake on April 26, 1966.]. Tashkent. 1971. Pp. 644–645. (In Russ.)

16. Tashkentskomu voennomu gospitalyu 100 let / pod red. A.F. Gusakova. [100th anniversary of Tashkent hospital/ Ed. A.F. Gusakov] Tashkent. – i dr.– : B.I., 1969. Pp. 43 – 45. (In Russ.)

17. Ulomov V.I. Seismicheskaya opasnost’ i «sindrom» zemletryasenii [Seismic danger and earthquakes «syndrome»]. Meditsina katastrof [Emergency Medicine]. 1996. N 1. Pp. 72–80. (In Russ.)

18. Umarova Z.I. [et al]. Osobennosti klinicheskogo techeniya gipertonicheskoi bolezni i koronarnoi nedostatochnosti [Features of a clinical course of hypertension and coronary failure]. Tashkentskoe zemletryasenie 26 aprelya 1966 g. [Tashkent earthquake on April 26, 1966.]. Tashkent. 1971. Pp. 635–639. (In Russ.)

19. Frolov V.F., Shakhovets V.V. Problemy meditsinskoi zashchity naseleniya v chrezvychainykh situatsiyakh [Problems of medical protection of the population in emergency situations]. Voenno-meditsinskii zhurnal [Military medical journal]. 1990. N 8. Pp. 45–47. (In Russ.)

20. Khodzhiev Sh.Kh. Neotlozhnye zadachi protivoepidemicheskoi sluzhby v period ustraneniya posledstvii zemletryaseniya v Tashkente [Urgent tasks of antiepidemic service during elimination of consequences of an earthquake in Tashkent]. Tashkentskoe zemletryasenie 26 aprelya 1966 g. [Tashkent earthquake on April 26, 1966.]. Tashkent. 1971. Pp. 629–648. (In Russ.)

21. Chernaya G.F. Vliyanie tashkentskogo zemletryaseniya 1966 g. na techenie gipertonicheskoi bolezni [Influence of the Tashkent earthquake of 1966 on the course of hypertension]: Abstract dissertation PhD Med. Sci. Tashkent. 1970. 23 p. (In Russ.)

22. Shamansunov Sh.Sh. K voprosu o reaktsiyakh naseleniya goroda Tashkenta na zemletryasenie 1966 g. [To a question of reactions of the population of the city of Tashkent to an earthquake of 1966]. Meditsinskii zhurnal Uzbekistana [Medical journal of Uzbekistan]. 1971. N 2. Pp. 65–68. (In Russ.)