Arab News Japan

ISTANBUL: Medical examinations began in full swing on Thursday at a field hospital opened by a Japanese emergency relief unit’s medical team at an area in Turkiye hit hard by massive earthquakes last week.

A total of 36 Japanese staff, including doctors, are currently working at the facility built in Oguzeli in Gaziantep Province, with the number expected to rise to 75 in the near future.

According to the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) Disaster Relief Team Secretariat, the medical team’s material and equipment were transported to Turkiye by Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force special aircraft on Tuesday.

JICA said the equipment helps deploy a full-fledged field hospital.

【#国際緊急援助隊・医療チーム #トルコ】
航空自衛隊特別輸送機がトルコまで運んできた医療チーム資機材が、活動現場に到着しました。これで資機材がほぼ全て揃い、本格的な野営病院が展開できます。 #JDR #国際緊急援助隊 #トルコ #地震 pic.twitter.com/eQu8cccpgZ

— JICA国際緊急援助隊事務局 (@jdr_secretariat) February 14, 2023

As many local medical institutions have ceased to function in the aftermath of the earthquakes, the field hospital is expected to play a key role in ensuring a wide range of medical services for local residents.

The facility can treat people injured in the earthquakes, as well as those with chronic illnesses. It is also equipped with items necessary for medical staff to perform surgery or dialysis.

Emphasizing the importance of the field hospital amid the absence of functioning local hospitals, Mehmet Sait Kilic, the mayor of Oguzeli, in a telephone interview said that local residents will never forget Japan’s contributions.

*With JIJI Press