Experience of makeshift spinal cord injury rehabilitation center established after the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.

To the Editor: Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are frequently reported in earthquakes.1-3 Pakistan is among 9 countries that account for more than 80% of earthquake-related injuries.4 An earthquake on October 8, 2005, in Kashmir, Pakistan, left more than 73,000 persons dead. This earthquake resulted in an estimated 650 to 750 SCIs.5 Management of SCI victims offered challenges such as saturation of available SCI rehabilitation services and aggravation of injuries by improper immobilization, lifting, and transport techniques.1,6-8 It was reported that several makeshift SCI rehabilitation centers, which were established after the earthquake, may have benefited these victims.9 However, structure, function, and outcome of these centers were never described.1,5,9