Victim profiles and revealed issues of type 1 Emergency Medical Team in the first minutes of a mega earthquake in Turkey

Abstract

Background: On February 6, 2023, a series of mega-earthquakes (MEs) struck the southern parts of Turkey and northern Syria. In the first 16 days after the Turkey MEs (TMEs), the Tokushukai Medical Assistant Team (TMAT) backed by its infrastructure visited Turkey to support a local hospital. With the goal of helping local communities and working with local supporters and authorities, Turkey is on a mission to positively impact people’s lives.

Methods: Data collected covered the TMAT support period in February 2023. All patients admitted to a hospital were registered through the Minimum Data Set (MDS) of the Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Coordination Cell (EMTCC).

Results: A total of 561 patients were hospitalized during the 16-day mission. A review of the MDS data showed a decrease in the number of inpatients. The number of diseases directly related to the disaster was confirmed to be due to a gradual decrease in TME aftershock. However, the number of patients with nondisaster-related disease remained stable.

Conclusion: The experience of EMT in the initial relief of MEs that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023 showed that a mobile type 1 EMT in the early stage while rebuilding the infrastructure is essential. From the analysis of patient profiles, it is clear that knowledge and experience of skin diseases is needed in the first minutes of MEs. In addition, it has become clear that to ensure the quality of MDS for further analysis and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of EMS, it is essential to have recorders in the EMS. These MDS recorders, called descriptors, must be isolated from the treating medical staff to eliminate subjectivity and ensure data accuracy.