Health Minister Dr. Fahrettin Koca and Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar examined the search and rescue efforts in Hatay on site. Receiving information about the work carried out by the teams, Minister Dr. Koca evaluated the latest situation in the earthquake area.
Dr. Koca and Akar, who were briefed at the Disaster Coordination Center, then went to the city center and examined the work on site, received information from the search and rescue teams about the work and gave instructions.
Three Ministers examined the search and rescue efforts in Hatay from the air
Afterwards, Minister of Health Dr. Fahrettin Koca, Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Dönmez examined the search and rescue efforts in the center of Hatay from the air.
“Tomorrow, we will have nearly doubled the number of our team”
Making statements at the Emergency Coordination Center in Hatay, Dr. Koca added that due to bad weather conditions, the necessary equipment and rescue teams could reach the centers damaged by the earthquake with great effort.
Minister Koca said, “2 thousand 749 buildings have been demolished in Hatay and this number may increase even more. A total of 9,823 people from different institutions work here, of which 2,902 are search and rescue personnel. Until this hour, the number of people rescued from the wreckage in Hatay was 1846. With the addition of search and rescue teams arriving in Hatay as of tonight, we will have nearly doubled the number of our teams.”
“5 thousand 434 of our citizens lost their lives, we have 31 thousand 777 injured”
Minister of Health Koca continued his words as follows:
Unfortunately, a total of 5 thousand 434 citizens lost their lives, we have 31 thousand 777 injured. I wish God's mercy to all our citizens who lost their lives, and a speedy recovery to all injured. Condolences to our nation."
A total of 6 thousand 30 emergency medical personnel was assigned
Noting that 1124 ambulances and a total of 6030 emergency medical personnel and 243 UMKE (National Medical Rescue Team) teams, were assigned to the earthquake zone from other provinces, Dr. Koca also said that a total of 2,924 healthcare workers, 1201 of whom are specialists in different branches, were sent to the hospitals. Minister Dr. Koca added:
“We have set up 78 emergency response units and heavy climate tents in the earthquake area. We transported the injured from İskenderun to Mersin City Hospital with our land ambulances. Last night, 98 injured were transported to Mersin by the Iskenderun ship of the Ministry of National Defense. In the Mersin City Hospital, a total of 590 injured, 170 of whom are in intensive care, are under treatment.”
We transferred the injured in Hatay to Adana City Hospital and hospitals in the region. Currently, 600 injured patients, 220 of whom are in intensive care, are being treated in Adana City Hospital. In addition, the hospitals in Reyhanlı, Dörtyol, Samandağ, Yayladağı and Kırıkhan provide health services for the injured.”
About 300 injured were transported by airplane ambulances.
Pointing out that the critically injured were transported to city hospitals in Ankara and Istanbul by airplane ambulances, Minister of Health Dr. Koca said, “So far, we have transported nearly 300 injured in this way.”
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