‘Death Right Under You’: Doctor Describes Türkiye’s Earthquake and Ongoing Challenges – Türkiye

Dr. Yusuf Çekmece dug through the rubble to save the family, and continues to care for his community in Antakya, Turkey.

Written by Noah Smith

Dr. Yusef Çekmece, 40, is a family medicine specialist based in Antakya, Turkey, which was hit hard by the devastating earthquakes of February 6, 2023 that claimed more than 50,000 lives. Dr. Çekmece is part of the Turkish Medical Association, which Direct Relief has supported with grant funding to meet the needs of earthquake-affected doctors, many of whom have been displaced by damage from the February earthquake.

Direct Relief has also supported Dr. Şekemce’s work with necessary medical supplies at the primary care level, including personal protective equipment, field medicine kits and personal care packages with hygiene items for the displaced.

Below is a Q&A with Dr. Chikmeji about his experiences during and after the earthquakes, including what conditions are like in his community now, nearly six months later.

The following interview has been edited for clarity. Translated by Dr. Handy Arbat.

Direct Relief: Can you describe what happened when the earthquakes hit? Where were you? What was your first thought when this happened? What was the first thing you did? How did you feel in those first minutes and hours?

Dr.. Youssef Shakmja: I was sleeping in my house and the earthquake happened at night. Indeed, Antakya is used to earthquakes. We’ve always had vibrations on a smaller scale. So, at first, I thought this earthquake was one of these little earthquakes, and I started waiting for it to stop, but it didn’t happen. Forget stopping, the road just got stronger. I tried to stand up, but I couldn’t. I lay on the floor, sheltering myself near my bed. There is no way to describe the fear of these important moments. It is strange to feel death beneath you.

What were the most difficult aspects for you in the days and weeks following the earthquake?

Suddenly, all of our lives fell apart—our social lives, our careers, our memories. Without the chance to recover from the psychological effects of the earthquake, we had to start rebuilding our lives, and this was stressful for all of us… In the early days, I had trouble sleeping, I would suddenly wake up and felt like the earthquake was happening again, or while sitting, and when someone moved on the sofa, I suddenly panicked. I feel better now, I might say.

Medically speaking, what is the biggest challenge in providing care to patients?

It’s been more than five months, and we still face a lot of challenges related to keeping healthcare services sustainable. In my view, the worst challenge is that doctors and other healthcare professionals are also earthquake survivors, and their living conditions need to be improved. Also, due to limited transportation options, access to healthcare services is not optimal for people who need healthcare services.

I understand your office has been destroyed and you are working from a converted shipping container into a medical office. How was that experience?

Yes, my primary health care facility collapsed. Since the second month after the earthquake, we have been caring for patients in containers converted into mobile health units. I can say that it is at least better to have a place to serve the needy than not to have a place to serve them.

What do you want people outside of Turkey to know about the condition of the people in Antakya today, after several months of earthquakes? Is there anything else you would like to share about how earthquakes have changed you or the way you practice medicine in any way?

Five months after the earthquake, people lost everything they owned before, such as large apartments, expensive carpets, dozens of shoes, sofas, etc., all under the rubble. We now live in 28 square meter (about 300 square feet) containers; Restaurants, hairdressers, pharmacies, and banks are all in containers, and we may have to get used to that. Life still goes on despite everything. What keeps people holding on is the solidarity they feel, national and international solidarity, which keeps us alive and strong.

People can lose everything in a second: loved ones, property and money, but solidarity is the cure for survival. Whatever happens, I hope we will continue to hold on to each other and keep solidarity alive globally.

Since February 2023, Direct Relief has shipped more than $82 million in medical aid in response to the aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, and provided more than $3 million to groups providing medical care in earthquake zones.

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