New Zealand orders skin for volcano victims

New Zealand has ordered about 1,290 square feet of human skin from the United States to help treat patients severely burned in Monday’s volcanic eruption on White Island, as emergency workers scramble to find at least nine people still missing amid concerns the volcano could erupt again.

There were at least 47 tourists on the island, which is also known by its Maori name, Whakaari, at the time of Monday’s eruption. Tourists affected were from the U.S., New Zealand, China, Britain, Germany and Malaysia. At least six people were killed and many others injured.

Speaking in Auckland on Wednesday, Peter Watson, chief medical officer of the Counties Manukau District Health Board, said 29 people, many with severe burns, are being treated in New Zealand’s hospitals. At least 22 are so badly burned they still need airway support, he said.

“The nature of the burns suffered is complicated by the gases and chemicals in the eruption,” Watson said. “This has necessitated more rapid treatment of these burns than is the case for thermal-only burns.”

Skin is the largest organ on the human body. Adults typically have around 20 square feet of skin, and some of the victims in New Zealand have burns on as much as 90 per cent of their bodies.

Survivors are between the ages of 13 and 72. The Australians would likely be transferred home in the coming days if they are approved for travel.

Surgeons have been working night and day to treat patients in what John Kenealy, clinical director of surgery and perioperative services at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland, told reporters was a record number of severe burn victims for New Zealand.

“This number of burns at one time is certainly unprecedented in New Zealand, and it’s unprecedented in most countries in the world,” Kenealy said.

He said he expects surgeons to spend around 500 hours total treating victims in the coming weeks and months.

Mark Law, a commercial helicopter pilot who assisted in the rescue of some survivors, said this week that when he helped transfer survivors off the island, “a lot of the people could not talk. It was pretty quiet. The only real words were things like, ‘help,’” he said. “They were covered in ash and dust. We were picking them up, and skin was coming off in our hands.”

IT WAS PRETTY QUIET. THE ONLY REAL WORDS WERE THINGS LIKE, ‘HELP’.