McDonald's, bus station become lifeline as Venezuela quake overwhelms hospitals

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La Guaira: A McDonald's restaurant and a bus terminal in Venezuela's earthquake-stricken La Guaira state have been converted into improvised medical facilities as hospitals struggle to care for hundreds of injured survivors of the country's twin earthquakes.

Doctors, paramedics, and volunteers transformed the McDonald's in Caraballeda into a field hospital equipped with triage sections, a pharmacy, treatment rooms, and even a veterinary unit for rescued animals. The clinic has been treating approximately 200 patients each day, with medical teams treating anything from fractures and emergency procedures to hypertension and starvation problems. McDonald's representatives contributed to the effort by providing access to the premises and utilities.

A nearby bus terminal in Catia La Mar has also been converted into a medical center, with roughly 4,000 patients treated after the accident swamped the region's hospitals. The twin earthquakes killed more than 2,600 people and injured over 12,600 others, while humanitarian workers warn of rising infectious disease dangers in congested shelters.