Emergency Medical Mission Completed, Indonesia Grants Field Hospital To Turkish Government

The delivery of hospital grants and humanitarian assistance from Indonesia to Turkey. (Source: Indonesian Embassy in Ankara)

JAKARTA - Indonesia has donated a field hospital in Hassa City, Hatay to the Turkish Ministry of Health, in line with the end of the Indonesian Government's emergency medical mission which was members of Ina-EMT on Monday.

The ending was marked by the signing of a report on the Indonesian field hospital grant, from the Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, to representatives of the Turkish Ministry of Health Arif Cetin.

Ambassador Iqbal said that on that occasion Indonesia also handed back four containers of instant food assistance from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.

"Almost all permanent hospitals in the earthquake-affected areas have been reactivated. However, the existence of field hospitals will greatly help reduce the burden on existing hospitals," he explained, quoting the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara, Tuesday, February 28.

"Especially the Indonesian Field Hospital, in the last 10 days the highest number of services, compared to other field hospitals in Hatay Province," continued Ambassador Iqbal.

"The government and Turkish people in Hatay really appreciate our presence and this grant," he added.

The field hospital operated by Ina-EMT consists of 18 medical service tents belonging to MDMC Muhammadiyah and the Ministry of Health, as well as 11 support tents belonging to BNPB, Polri and TNI.

The entire facility is located in a complex in Hassa City, Hatay Province, the province most affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Turkey on February 6, 2023.

The Ina-EMT field hospital has 119 personnel from the Ministry of Health, MDMC Muhammadiyah, TNI, Polri, IDI and specialist doctor associations.

Since fully operating on February 15, 2023, the Ina-EMT field hospital has always been visited by patients exceeding its normal capacity of 150 patients per day. In the days leading up to the end of the mission, the Ina-EMT field hospital even serves up to 400 patients until 12.00 pm.

"It is very touching and proud to see the extraordinary remarks and trust shown by the people in Hatay to the Ina-EMT field hospital," said Bambang SP, chairman of the Indonesian Humanitarian Mission from BNPB.

With the end of this emergency medical mission, currently there are only two humanitarian missions carried out by the Indonesian government, namely the mission to protect Indonesian citizens in affected areas and humanitarian air transportation missions with the extension of the Hercules C-130 task of the Indonesian Air Force.

It is known that the plane and its entire crew will still help with humanitarian logistics transportation to areas affected by the earthquake until mid-March 2023.