Turkish, Azerbaijani military medics tend to thousands in quake-hit Kahramanmaras

By Sinan Uslu

KAHRAMANMARAS, Türkiye (AA) – Military doctors from Türkiye and Azerbaijan are working hand in hand to treat patients in Kahramanmaras, one of the 11 southern Turkish provinces devastated by the Feb. 6 twin tremors.

In a field facility set up at the Necip Fazil City Hospital, 20 Azerbaijani military medics – 12 physicians and eight nurses – have been treating hundreds of patients along with their colleagues from the Turkish Armed Forces.

About 2,000 patients have been examined and 85 surgical procedures performed at the field hospital, which has been set up in 19 containers and 21 tents.

Magrur Memmedov, an Azerbaijani medical lieutenant, told Anadolu that the team came to Türkiye on the orders of President Ilham Aliyev.

“Türkiye and Azerbaijan are like two brothers, two sons of the same father. Both are great. We are one nation, two states,” he said.

On working with the Turkish military, he added: “We will be proud to work with them until our last breath.”

Kifayet Engizek, an earthquake survivor, said she came to the field hospital after catching a cold.

“They have come here to help us. Thank you very much. May God be pleased with them,” she said, referring to the Azerbaijani medics.

The Feb. 6 twin tremors have affected more than 13 million people in southern Türkiye, while the death toll is now over 44,200.

The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude quakes were centered in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar