Japan Sets Up Emergency Field Hospital in Quake-Hit Turkey

Istanbul, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--Medical examinations began in full swing on Thursday at a field hospital opened by a Japanese emergency relief unit's medical team at an area in Turkey hit hard by massive earthquakes last week.

A total of 36 Japanese staff, including doctors, are currently working at the facility built in Oguzeli in Gaziantep Province, with the number expected to rise to 75 in the near future.

As many local medical institutions have ceased to function in the aftermath of the earthquakes, the field hospital is expected to play a key role in ensuring a wide range of medical services for local residents.

On Tuesday, medical tents and other equipment arrived on site after being transported on a Japanese government plane from Japan to Adana Province in southern Turkey. The team then proceeded with the work to establish the field hospital on the grounds of a local school.

The facility can treat people injured in the earthquakes, as well as those with chronic illnesses. It is also equipped with items necessary for medical staff to perform surgery or dialysis.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]