Medication crisis in Malatya: “We do not have enough medicine, we cut them up and distribute them”

Medication crisis in Malatya: “We do not have enough medicine, we cut them up and distribute them”
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Pharmacists at the field hospital in Malatya report that they are experiencing a crisis of medical supplies. One pharmacist summarized the situation saying, “We do not have enough medicine, we cut them up before distributing them.”

YAGMUR KAYA- Malatya is one of the provinces most impacted by the earthquakes, the epicenter of which was the Pazarcik and Elbistan districts of Maras. In the city center where many buildings were destroyed, there are next to no structures that were not damaged. Locals state that the majority of the collapse occurred after the second earthquake.

Cavusoglu Neighborhood, Temelli, Emeksiz, Akpinar, Malaria Spring, Sivas, and Niyazi Misri Avenues are among the most damaged in the earthquake. In the Bostanbasi and Cilesiz neighborhoods, which were severely affected by the earthquake, even those buildings that were new or merely a few years old collapsed.

In the city, where temperatures dropped to negative three degrees Celsius during the day and negative eight degrees at night, families whose homes were destroyed or damaged were forced to migrate either to nearby cities such as Bingol and Diyarbakir or to distant cities such as Istanbul and Adapazari.

Those who cannot leave the city either stay in the schools they think are safe, stay in tents provided by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), or keep watch over the fire in front of their homes due to security concerns. However, the people staying in the AFAD tents set up in the side streets and squares of the city face a heating problem. As such, one of the most critical needs currently is for heaters.

During the day, soup is distributed to the people near Malatya Training and Research Hospital, in the empty spaces surrounding Malatya Park Shopping Center.

THE POLICE KEEP WATCH IN FRONT OF THE WRECKAGE

While rescue teams continue to work under the rubble in the hopes of saving more people, the number of dead and injured climbs every hour. However, some citizens say that the search and rescue efforts are insufficient. A special forces police officer, who said that one of his relatives is trapped under the rubble of the 50th Yil Apartment, located on Inonu Street, which consists of 24 flats, states that although the work has been ongoing for four days, his sister is still in the wreckage and that the search and rescue efforts have “only just” begun. Again, policemen or village guards from the province of Van keep watch around almost every demolished building and warn the public to stay away from the rubble.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Minister of National Education Mahmut Ozer announced at the briefing held on February 9 at the AFAD Coordination Center in Malatya that the number of people who lost their lives in Malatya was 1,071, and the number of injured was 9,108. However, that the death toll may be higher in districts such as Dogansehir, where destruction is widespread, or in villages where search and rescue efforts have not yet begun was emphasized.

“WE DISTRIBUTE MEDICINE IN PIECES BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH”

The doctors we talked to at the Turgut Ozal Medical Center, where we stopped by for information on the treatment of the injured and whether there was a drug crisis, drew attention to the increase in the deaths of patients who had heart attacks due to the earthquake or were living at home on dialysis machines. A pharmacist working at the field pharmacy set up in front of Malatya Medical Center said that they supplement their insufficient drug supply with medicine coming from AFAD and Elazig, or by cutting up what medicines they have themselves. Stating that he came from Samsun as a volunteer alongside a group of pharmacists, he said:

"There was a lack of medicine in Adiyaman. We sent medicine from Malatya. Again, we had a shortage of blankets and food. Some of these were supplied by the Samsun Pharmacist's Chamber. We also built a stock of medicine. We usually send it to those who are trapped in villages. We did not have medicine. Yesterday, we cut up what we have and distributed it. Because we don't have enough medicine."

REFRIGERATED MEDICINE CRISIS

A pharmacist from Malatya, whom we received information from, emphasized that three field pharmacies were established in Malatya’s central district and that there was a refrigerated medicine shortage.

PROVINCIAL HEALTH MINISTER BERK: THERE IS NO PROBLEM

Provincial Health Minister Ilhan Berk, whom we spoke to at Malatya Training and Research Hospital regarding healthcare in the city, said that the healthcare system is under control. Berk said:

"We have mobile teams in tent cities. We do not have a shortage of drugs. Our hospitals are working actively. We examine our cases, we are active. We also provide support to Adiyaman and Maras. Our wounded are coming out of the wreckage, we are taking them in as well. There is no problem.”

“WE ARE NOT VICTIMIZING ANYONE, WE ARE WORKING IN AN ORGANIZED MANNER”

"Our priority was to save lives. We’re grateful; our Ministry of Health and the General Staff provided serious aircraft support. Our citizens are really appreciative. We sent our patients to all the provinces. We are not victimizing anyone, we are working in an organized manner. Extra problems are inevitable because the weather is cold. This is why we also established pharmacies in the Chamber of Pharmacists, the Training and Research Hospital, Battalgazi, and the university hospital’s yard. We distribute all medicines free of charge."

“WE ARE NOT ABOUT TO SET UP A TENT AND PUT A DOCTOR IN THE VILLAGE”

Malatya Provincial Health Minister Berk gave the following answer to our question about the health status of citizens in the villages:

"Now what do you mean by healthcare services? We are not about to set up a tent and put a doctor in the village for that reason. Some village or other tied to Golbasi could not be reached. There was a patient with two broken legs there, we took him by helicopter to Elazig. In Dogansehir district, I have two Severe Climate tents. In our current hospital, there is an earthquake isolator. Of course, if there are places that cannot be reached, there is nothing I can do about it." While Berk did not make a statement about the number of people who have died due to the earthquake, he stated that the relevant data could be obtained through the AFAD list.

Malatya is one of the provinces most impacted by the earthquakes, the epicenter of which was the Pazarcik and Elbistan districts of Maras. In the city center where many buildings were destroyed, there are next to no structures that were not damaged. Locals state that the majority of the collapse occurred after the second earthquake.

Cavusoglu Neighborhood, Temelli, Emeksiz, Akpinar, Malaria Spring, Sivas, and Niyazi Misri Avenues are among the most damaged in the earthquake. In the Bostanbasi and Cilesiz neighborhoods, which were severely affected by the earthquake, even those buildings that were new or merely a few years old collapsed.

In the city, where temperatures dropped to negative three degrees Celsius during the day and negative eight degrees at night, families whose homes were destroyed or damaged were forced to migrate either to nearby cities such as Bingol and Diyarbakir or to distant cities such as Istanbul and Adapazari.

Those who cannot leave the city either stay in the schools they think are safe, stay in tents provided by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), or keep watch over the fire in front of their homes due to security concerns. However, the people staying in the AFAD tents set up in the side streets and squares of the city face a heating problem. As such, one of the most critical needs currently is for heaters.

During the day, soup is distributed to the people near Malatya Training and Research Hospital, in the empty spaces surrounding Malatya Park Shopping Center.

THE POLICE KEEP WATCH IN FRONT OF THE WRECKAGE

While rescue teams continue to work under the rubble in the hopes of saving more people, the number of dead and injured climbs every hour. However, some citizens say that the search and rescue efforts are insufficient. A special forces police officer, who said that one of his relatives is trapped under the rubble of the 50th Yil Apartment, located on Inonu Street, which consists of 24 flats, states that although the work has been ongoing for four days, his sister is still in the wreckage and that the search and rescue efforts have “only just” begun. Again, policemen or village guards from the province of Van keep watch around almost every demolished building and warn the public to stay away from the rubble.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Minister of National Education Mahmut Ozer announced at the briefing held on February 9 at the AFAD Coordination Center in Malatya that the number of people who lost their lives in Malatya was 1,071, and the number of injured was 9,108. However, that the death toll may be higher in districts such as Dogansehir, where destruction is widespread, or in villages where search and rescue efforts have not yet begun was emphasized.

“WE DISTRIBUTE MEDICINE IN PIECES BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH”

The doctors we talked to at the Turgut Ozal Medical Center, where we stopped by for information on the treatment of the injured and whether there was a drug crisis, drew attention to the increase in the deaths of patients who had heart attacks due to the earthquake or were living at home on dialysis machines. A pharmacist working at the field pharmacy set up in front of Malatya Medical Center said that they supplement their insufficient drug supply with medicine coming from AFAD and Elazig, or by cutting up what medicines they have themselves. Stating that he came from Samsun as a volunteer alongside a group of pharmacists, he said:

"There was a lack of medicine in Adiyaman. We sent medicine from Malatya. Again, we had a shortage of blankets and food. Some of these were supplied by the Samsun Pharmacist's Chamber. We also built a stock of medicine. We usually send it to those who are trapped in villages. We did not have medicine. Yesterday, we cut up what we have and distributed it. Because we don't have enough medicine."

REFRIGERATED MEDICINE CRISIS

A pharmacist from Malatya, whom we received information from, emphasized that three field pharmacies were established in Malatya’s central district and that there was a refrigerated medicine shortage.

PROVINCIAL HEALTH MINISTER BERK: THERE IS NO PROBLEM

Provincial Health Minister Ilhan Berk, whom we spoke to at Malatya Training and Research Hospital regarding healthcare in the city, said that the healthcare system is under control. Berk said:

"We have mobile teams in tent cities. We do not have a shortage of drugs. Our hospitals are working actively. We examine our cases, we are active. We also provide support to Adiyaman and Maras. Our wounded are coming out of the wreckage, we are taking them in as well. There is no problem.”

“WE ARE NOT VICTIMIZING ANYONE, WE ARE WORKING IN AN ORGANIZED MANNER”

"Our priority was to save lives. We’re grateful; our Ministry of Health and the General Staff provided serious aircraft support. Our citizens are really appreciative. We sent our patients to all the provinces. We are not victimizing anyone, we are working in an organized manner. Extra problems are inevitable because the weather is cold. This is why we also established pharmacies in the Chamber of Pharmacists, the Training and Research Hospital, Battalgazi, and the university hospital’s yard. We distribute all medicines free of charge."

“WE ARE NOT ABOUT TO SET UP A TENT AND PUT A DOCTOR IN THE VILLAGE”

Malatya Provincial Health Minister Berk gave the following answer to our question about the health status of citizens in the villages:

"Now what do you mean by healthcare services? We are not about to set up a tent and put a doctor in the village for that reason. Some village or other tied to Golbasi could not be reached. There was a patient with two broken legs there, we took him by helicopter to Elazig. In Dogansehir district, I have two Severe Climate tents. In our current hospital, there is an earthquake isolator. Of course, if there are places that cannot be reached, there is nothing I can do about it." While Berk did not make a statement about the number of people who have died due to the earthquake, he stated that the relevant data could be obtained through the AFAD list.