One day, a local came to the makeshift tent and said, "I got run over by a cow on the farm". The patient with a fractured rib was admitted to the hospital for treatment. This hospital was the field hospital established by the Japanese Rescue Team in the yard of a high school. Following the Türkiye-Syria earthquake, a Japanese medical team worked tirelessly to assist and fill the gaps in general medical care.
When the central hospital was damaged, the burden of general medical care increased.
Gaziantep in the south of Türkiye… The medical personnel of the Japanese Rescue Team arrived in the region shortly after the earthquake. They brought surgical equipment and beds from Japan and established a field hospital consisting of tents.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Gaziantep on February 6 destroyed a number of structures and halted operations at the central hospital. Not only earthquake victims but also others who were unable to receive conventional medical care visited the field hospital one after another.
After returning to Japan, Takeshi Ishihara, a 51-year-old team leader, stressed the significance of efforts in an interview with Mainichi Shimbun:
“When you think of medical aid provided by the emergency team, you might picture us treating victims pulled from the rubble. Initially, this kind of aid was crucial, but patients who had previously received standard hospital care were unable to receive treatment. We believe that providing medical care to these individuals is also a form of earthquake aid.”
The medical team comprises physicians, nurses, pharmacists, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) personnel. The first 75-person team was dispatched after February 10, and the field hospital began operations on February 16. The second (65 people) and third (41 people) teams then went to the region and worked with local healthcare facilities. On March 12, it was stated that the team, which provided medical care to around 2,000 people, ceased its operations.
Ishihara said, "Türkiye is a pro-Japanese country, and there was an expectation that 'since the Japanese came, we will recover.' In coordination with the Turkish side, we have exerted enormous effort so that those receiving treatment can return home joyfully."
Experts from Japan's Disaster Relief Team in construction, seismic isolation, and earthquake-resistant technologies are also present in the region. They will continue to provide support for the reconstruction of Türkiye.