Spain sends field hospital to Turkey
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who gave a press conference on the plane that took off from the Torrejón de Ardoz military airbase in Madrid, said: “As Spain, we will spare no sacrifices to help Turkey and Syria to cope with the effects of the earthquake.”
Albares said: “Spain has been one of the countries that responded fastest to Turkey’s request for international assistance,” adding: “We have been on the phone with my colleague Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu since day one and exchanged views and information. Today, after going to sign the book of condolences at the Turkish Embassy in Madrid, I spoke on the phone. He knows that we are willing to help in any way possible.
Albares said that the priority at the moment is to bring humanitarian aid to the earthquake zone and treat the wounds, and that he wants to go to Turkey and visit the earthquake zone after the situation improves a little.
A team of 84 people (48 men, 40 women) consisting of logistics, coordination and health personnel was sent to Turkey, together with the field hospital equipped with the latest technologies and medicines, capable of caring for 150-200 patients a day , housing 20 people with beds and performing surgery. .
THEY WILL WORK IN HATAY FOR 1 MONTH
It was shared that the team, which is affiliated with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, will be stationed in Hatay and is expected to work there for at least 1 month.
Doctor Conchi Ruiz of the Spanish team said in a statement; “As soon as I saw the images on TV, I thought that I should go there. Because I am sure that if a similar disaster happened here, the Turks would come to our aid.”
Ruiz said that they had previously participated in a similar mission in Mozambique, that they had the capacity to provide 24-hour service in the field hospital and that they had all the necessary material to perform the surgery.
For his part, Foreign Minister Albares signed the book of condolences opened at the Turkish Embassy in Madrid in memory of those who lost their lives in the earthquake and conveyed his condolences and wishes of solidarity to the Turkish people.
Queen Sofía of Spain also provided medical aid for the earthquake victims in Turkey. (AA)