The wounds of the Kahramanmaraş earthquake, which was determined to affect 11 provinces with the addition of Elazig, continue to heal. The Red Crescent, which started with blood supply right after the disaster, reinforces the health support it started with the mobile health vehicles it will send to the region.
Although nutrition services are the main area of responsibility according to the Turkey Disaster Response Plan, Red Crescent’s supportive services for other sectors continue. Red Crescent, which ensures that there are no problems by sending the national blood stocks to the region immediately after the disaster in the field of health, currently provides psychological first aid services in the disaster area with its psycho support units. While making a special effort to prevent the problems that arise after the disaster from turning into an epidemic, the Red Crescent makes great efforts to deliver hygiene packages to the disaster victims so that they can stay healthy.
In order to support the health services carried out under the coordination of the Ministry of Health, the Red Crescent is putting an additional capacity into the field. 6 mobile health vehicles are sent to the disaster area so that they can receive primary health care services, especially in rural areas that have difficulties in accessing health services.
Experienced physicians will reach patients in rural areas who cannot reach the centers and carry out their examinations in fully equipped mobile health vehicles, which can carry out examinations, blood tests, x-rays, EKG and respiratory function tests. There will be two physicians, a nurse, a psychologist and an X-ray technician in the vehicles. The vehicles will provide mobile health services in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Adıyaman and Osmaniye as of February 17.
Mobile Dental Clinic is at the Service of Disaster Victims
Kızılay, which offers mobile dental clinics as well as mobile health vehicles, will provide emergency services to disaster victims who cannot access dental hospitals in Gaziantep’s Islahiye district. In the process, it is planned to expand this service with the contributions of volunteer dentists.
Sending mobile health vehicles to the region, Kızılay Deputy Chairman Prof. Dr. Fatma Meriç Yılmaz stated that the Red Crescent is mobilized to meet all the needs of the disaster victims and said, “We are going through difficult times. Our country is going through one of its biggest disasters. We have lost people, we have injured people, we have people who lost their relatives. Hopefully, we will get through these days by staying in solidarity. From the first day of the disaster, we focused on nutrition, which is our main task. Today, we have reached the point where we can serve 3 meals a day for 3 million people at more than 500 points. We continue our supportive role in other fields of activity as well as we can. In the field of health, we continue our services in coordination with the Ministry of Health. On the one hand, we provide psychosocial support. On the other hand, earthquake victims have very serious hygiene needs. In this sense, we continue our activities. Today, we are sending our mobile health vehicles to the field, which we have seen in the field and determined as a need as a result of consultations with our Ministry. We have prepared 6 mobile health tools. We are trying to reach everyone, everywhere with our mobile devices. Our volunteer doctors, nurses and psychologists will also work in these vehicles. Our volunteers have helped us in every field since the beginning of the disaster. Health is one of these areas,” he said.
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
