“Surviving the earthquake in 1999 made me a doctor today” – Interview with Dr. Gerioglu of the World Health Organization on the response to the 2023 Turkey earthquake

In 1999 a massive earthquake struck Turkey, causing great destruction and killing more than 17,000 people. At that time I was living in the city of Sile, a district in the province of Istanbul, 60 kilometers from the epicenter. My family was displaced, and we lived in a tent for about two weeks. I was already planning to work in the medical field but this unfortunate event gave me more determination to become a doctor.”

Since then, Dr. Berk Geryoglu has become a general practitioner specializing in family health and is now also a Professional National Officer in the WHO country office in Turkey, where he oversees the Refugee Health Programme.

However, the experience of surviving the 1999 earthquake had significant psychological effects that would last for many years to come.

“It took me at least 4 or 5 years to learn not to be terrified whenever earthquakes happen and to control my fear of another big earthquake,” he said.

Because Turkey is criss-crossed by two major fault lines, the country is particularly vulnerable to seismic activity. However, the earthquakes that struck southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria on February 6, 2023 came as a shock to Dr. Ceroglu.

Experts have been warning for some time that another major earthquake is coming in the Istanbul area. I didn’t think these other provinces would ever suffer an earthquake of this magnitude – even stronger than the 1999 earthquake. Tragically, it happened twice in the same day.”

However, Dr. Gerioglu’s traumatic experience nearly 25 years ago gave him an insight into what should happen next.

“As someone who has already experienced one earthquake, I knew we needed to act immediately to save lives – and from that first day we started planning how we could support our partners, especially the Turkish Ministry of Health.”

Deployed to 4 of the most affected districts, Dr. Ceroglu worked in collaboration with the Ministry to conduct rapid needs and health assessments; Conducting interviews with regional health directors and other experts and local officials to assess damage to health facilities and identify basic needs that require immediate attention in the aftermath of a disaster.

“The top priority should be emergency and trauma care, which I believe has been delivered very well. Access to primary health care services is also very important. It has been encouraging to see how seriously the Ministry of Health is working, along with the WHO And other partners in the health sector, to provide high-quality and continuous primary health care services in the most affected areas.

One example of such efforts is the deployment of hundreds of ambulances to affected areas, to transport patients from damaged facilities and to distribute medicines to people with chronic conditions living in rural areas. In addition, temporary healthcare facilities have been set up in the tent and container communities set up to house the millions of survivors who have been displaced from their homes.

This vital need to provide continuity of care was brought to Dr. Gerioglu’s home painfully by a very moving episode during his visit to an earthquake-damaged area.

“While I was on duty, I saw a copy of the EKG results lying in the rubble. I desperately wished with all my heart that the person in the report had survived the earthquakes and that they were getting the treatment they needed.”

Despite the sad scenes he witnessed during his visits to health facilities, Dr. Geryoglu was encouraged by the way healthcare workers in particular responded to the emergency.

“Healthcare staff work tirelessly to provide the best possible care, often in difficult and difficult circumstances. The resilience and strength of both healthcare workers and people who have survived earthquakes is truly inspiring. This kind of dedication and commitment to the wellbeing of others is a powerful reminder of the good that exists. In the world, even in the most difficult times.

The sense of solidarity shown by many organizations in response to this crisis is something else he is keen to highlight.

The massive response efforts by both the government, NGOs and the UN, including the World Health Organization and international emergency medical teams, have been remarkable. Everyone has been working together and helping each other, and they are all determined to provide support to the people of Turkey wherever they can.”

Concluding the interview, Dr. Geryoglu is optimistic about the future, but stresses that there is still a lot of work to be done.

“It will take time to recover from such a huge and devastating event, but you can already see remarkable progress over the past month, particularly in terms of strengthening health systems. Solidarity has proven to be key to achieving this, but there is still more to be done. Although “While we are tired now, we need to continue to support each other and the people affected by this disaster. I would urge everyone to donate to the response appeal if they can.”

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos