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Abstract
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It is undeniable that natural disasters can have a catastrophic impact on the health of women and children. The effects do not end with the damage that is caused by the first impact, but the ensuing lack of resources is also devastating. On February 6, 2023, two earthquakes with their epicenter in Kahramanmaras, with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, hit both Turkey and Syria.1 It was the second strongest earthquake to occur in Turkey in the past century, affecting 11 big cities where more than 14 million people lived, making up one-sixth of the country's population. Starting with the strongest tremors and continuing with 38 000 aftershocks, the disaster concluded with widespread damage, with more than 48 000 casualties and more than half a million destroyed or hard-hit buildings.
A state of emergency was declared for 3 months throughout the affected area, which encompassed 17.5% of primary care facilities and 12.5% of public hospitals in the country, including eight university hospitals. More than 16% of the country's physicians and 15.5% of its healthcare workers worked in these hospitals. With a disaster that hit this hard, the healthcare infrastructure was severely impacted. Within several hours, all emergency healthcare services were deployed to the affected area, including healthcare workers, emergency medicine specialists and orthopedic surgeons, ambulances, drugs, and vaccines. As the extent of the damage became clearer the next day, calls for national and international aid were put in place. Among the governmental services, all national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were on standby. Volunteers from the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and AHBAP filled the airports, train stations, and bus stations for free transfer services within the first 24 h. With an alarm level of 4, international help was also requested. More than 11 countries provided rescue teams, soldiers, firefighters, engineers, doctors, nurses, medics, civil volunteers, search dogs, medicine, tents, containers, mobile hygiene units, satellite, electronic equipment, generators, fuel, monetary support, and all kinds of humanitarian aid.2-4 Global aid from at least 110 countries and 16 international organizations was provided to help the victims. A total of 16 countries set up 34 field hospitals among the national field hospitals. In total, 42 hospital buildings in the region, 27 of which are owned by the Ministry of Health, six by universities, and nine by the private sector, experienced severe and moderate damage. Therefore, field hospitals and 94 hospitals that had been slightly damaged were open for use. Approximately 27 000 physicians and medical personnel with 116 psychosocial teams were deployed to these facilities...
Language: en |