Belgium to establish a field hospital in Turkey
The 43-person team that will manufacture the necessary materials and the hospital facility that is planned to be built in the Kırıkhan district of Hatay, departed from Melsbroek Military Airport in the capital Brussels today.
Belgian Health Minister Frank Vanderbroucke, who sent the team, told the AA correspondent at the airport: “We had to show solidarity. We had to organize something meaningful like this.” saying.
Vanderbroucke claimed that the field hospital would be the size of a football field.
Noting that the hospital will care for earthquake victims in Kırıkhan, Vanderbroucke said, “There will be gynecology and delivery units in the hospital. We will send staff who will work here and give birth. There will also be a surgical unit, ”he said.
Noting that 5 military cargo planes will transport the necessary material for the installation of the hospital sent by Belgium, Vanderbroucke specified that in addition to the 43 people who will travel to Adana today for the installation, 60 more people will leave on Tuesday.
Vanderbroucke claimed that the field hospital would be the size of a football field.
“THE HEALTH SYSTEM WILL BE A HUGE BURDEN”
Vanderbroucke said he saw the images of the earthquake areas and they were “terrible” and said: “Our hearts go out to the Turkish people and the Turks in Belgium. Our Belgian-Turkish friends have relatives and families there. Anxiety and sadness experienced are terrible”.
Noting that the effects of the disaster will continue for a long time, Vanderbroucke said that there will be a great burden on the health system and that they prefer to provide health services rather than contribute to search and rescue efforts in the short term.
Vanderbroucke said: “Our choice was to establish a team that the World Health Organization calls Emergency Medical Teams-2. “This is a kind of medium-sized international emergency medical team and a genuine hospital.”
The Belgian Health Minister stated that while he evaluates cooperation with the Turkish authorities, they have very fluid communication and contact, and that they have been working with Bekir Uysal, Turkey’s ambassador in Brussels, since day one.
IT WILL BEGIN OPERATION ON THURSDAY
Giving information about the field hospital, Gino Claes, Head of the Belgian Health Ministry’s Crisis Management Service, said that it will be set up in an area of 6,000 square meters and will include an operating room, outpatient treatment unit, emergency room, radiology unit and patient bedroom.
According to the information provided by Claes, at least 100 people will be able to receive treatment per day in the hospital and 20 people will be able to receive hospital treatment.
The hospital, where 50 small-scale operations can be performed per day, will have the capacity to perform 7 major operations.
The hospital, which is planned to be established in Kırıkhan, is said to start operating on Thursday with 80 health personnel. Belgian medical personnel are scheduled to remain in Turkey on two-week rotations.