Indonesian field hospital treats over 2,000 people in quake-hit Türkiye

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Physicians and paramedical staff from Indonesia have treated over 2,000 people in earthquake-hit Türkiye, an official from the country said on Monday.

Dr. Corona Rintawan, deputy head of Indonesian field hospital, said in a written statement that around 70% of patients who were treated by the Indonesian emergency medical team, complained of “respiratory problems.”

The health problems, he said, could have been caused due to weather, shelter conditions and dust as the process of dismantling of debris is still going on.

Indonesia set up its field hospital on Feb. 15 in the Hassa district of Hatay, one of the 11 provinces hit by the massive twin earthquakes on Feb. 6, which caused widespread devastation.

The Southeast Asian nation’s embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara said the hospital was serving around 200 patients a day, 50 patients above its capacity of 150 per day.

Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, Indonesia’s top diplomat in Türkiye, said while the medical team from Indonesia officially ended their emergency mission on Monday, “all field hospital (material) will be donated to the Turkish Health Ministry which will continue operations with its own Turkish officers and doctors for the next three months.”

The Indonesian medical team has data of the patients besides 29 service and support tents and necessary medical equipment which will be transferred to the Turkish health authorities.

At least 44,374 people have been killed by the back-to-back earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6.

With their epicenter in Kahramanmaras province, the powerful tremors struck 10 other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Adiyaman, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig. Some 13.5 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.