A survey of injuries from the West fertilizer plant explosion will be complete in June. (Matthew Busch/The Dallas Morning News)
A report on injuries from last year’s fertilizer plant explosion in West will be finished next month, health officials say. A spokeswoman for McLennan County’s public health department said details are still being worked out, but the city of West will get the information first. After a meeting with West officials, the information will be released to the public at large via the health department’s website.
Preliminary figures show about 260 people sought care at hospitals and urgent care clinics after the blast. Health officials in McLennan County and the Texas Department of State Health Services are conducting the survey.
Last month, I wrote this story about what the survey does and doesn’t cover. It focuses on people with immediately apparent physical injuries who went to a hospital or urgent care clinic. But I found that many didn’t go to the hospital and sought care elsewhere.
The survey also doesn’t cover mental health issues common after disasters or follow survivors long-term. Many in West have ongoing health issues.
Public health and policy experts say a thorough survey is needed, now that lawmakers are weighing new safety rules.
