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Oral Abstracts

Category: Research Abstract

Oral Abstracts C

(O-C6) If You Rebuild It, They Will Come: The Contribution of the Israeli field Hospital Emergency Department to the Response to the 2023 Earthquake in Turkey

Friday, September 8, 2023
10:45 AM - 10:57 AM EEST
Location: Elafos A
Objectives: To describe the contribution of the Israeli Field Hospital Emergency Department to the response to the 2023 Earthquake in Turkey

Background: On February 6, 2023, an earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale devastated southeastern Turkey and parts of Syria resulting in over 50,000 deaths. The Israeli government organized a medical delegation of 142 personnel. They arrived in Turkey on February 8, 2023, and integrated within an existing hospital in Kahramanmaraş. The hospital had been essentially abandoned by its staff, some of whom were killed and some who needed to care for their families. From February 9, 2023, through February 14, 2023, working alongside volunteer Turkish doctors and nurses, the Israeli team helped rehabilitate the Necip Fazil City Hospital.

Methods: This is a descriptive analysis using the computerized administrative database known as “Haiti” of the activities of the ED staff during the official Israeli mission to the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.

Results: A total of 470 patients were examined by the Israeli staff (many in conjunction with volunteer Turkish ED physicians) in the emergency department during the six days of clinical operation. There was a peak of 152 patients on February 11, 2023. The ED staff treated 17 patients removed from the rubble of the earthquake. Ten patients underwent operations, 48 were hospitalized in the inpatient ward, and 27 in the intensive care unit.

Conclusions: A total of 470 patients were treated by the Israeli staff in the ED of the Necip Fazil City Hospital during the 2023 mission to Turkey. Many of these patients were treated in conjunction with volunteer Turkish doctors and nurses. However, the biggest accomplishment was helping rehabilitate the ED and overall hospital so that groups of volunteer Turkish physicians could continue its operation.

References (Optional):

Funding (Optional): None