Hospitals overloaded with crush injuries say doctors with supplies and equipment needed as DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal donations reach £74 million

Doctors working in hospitals treating earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria say there is an urgent need for trauma kits, antibiotics and pain relief as well as more specialised equipment for hand, foot and brain surgery. 

As the extent of the tragedy becomes increasingly clear, medical professionals say that crush injuries in the extremities – particularly hands and feet – are widespread, and there’s a need for specialist treatment for brain injuries. 

The DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal is supporting hospitals and medical services through DEC member charities and their local partners in both countries. The appeal has now raised £74.1 million in five days, including £5 million matched by the UK Government through the UK Aid Match scheme. 

Surgeons say they need supplies such as orthopaedic screws and nails, anaesthetics and analgesics. There is a shortage of skilled medical professionals trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery and hand surgery. 

Kidney injuries have created a spike in need for dialysis machines and kidney specialists. ICU equipment is also required, such as ventilators. 

Randa Ghazy, Regional Media Manager Save the Children International, in Antakya, Turkey, said: “Many hospitals have been destroyed and those which are still standing are overwhelmed with thousands of injured people. Hospitals are also running short on medical supplies and fuel to operate.” 

Dr Muhammad Hasan Al-Jned is an ambulance doctor and a general surgery resident at the Specialized Surgical Hospital in Idlib run by the Syrian Expatriate Medical Association (SEMA). SEMA runs three hospitals in northwest Syria as well as providing other humanitarian relief and is receiving funds from the appeal through DEC charity Age International. 

Dr Al-Jned has been working since the disaster struck even though his house was damaged and his sisters and parents injured in the earthquake. He said at least 25 health professionals – pharmacists, nurses and technicians – were killed. The hospital has seen 4,000 patients in five days.  

He said: “My work expanded by receiving the wounded and the injured from the affected areas, providing them with first aid, transferring the serious injuries to the intensive care unit and following them up there, in addition to my going out in the field and searching for injured people in order to try to save their lives. 

“Unfortunately, there are some injuries to some of my family members... in addition to the damage to my house. The house is in a bad condition, but I have no alternative now in these difficult circumstances.” 

Dr Wassel Aljerk, a general surgeon at Idlib City Hospital and Programmes Manager for SEMA, said: “The hospitals are overloaded with patients and SEMA is urgently procuring medications and consumables. We need antibiotics, anaesthetics, orthopaedic screws and nails.  

“The intensive care unit and the emergency department have many crush injuries on patients’ hands and feet. The people who had crush injuries to their heads, abdomens and chests are the ones who sadly died.” 

At the same time there are fears of deadly waterborne diseases spreading, which would particularly affect children. Thousands of people are without safe drinking water and sanitation facilities such as running water and toilets, increasing the risks. Even before the earthquake there was already a cholera outbreak in north-west Syria. 

Randa Ghazy, Regional Media Manager Save the Children International said: “I spoke to parents in the areas around Antakya who are sleeping in cars and community centres, they told me that their children are vomiting, so there’s a real concern that some children are already falling ill.”  

DEC charities are assisting medical services with local staff and through local partners. Examples include:  

• Action Against Hunger has distributed medical supplies including surgical gloves, syringes, chest tube sets, and catheters to the largest hospitals in Aleppo to enable trauma and emergency surgery. It also providing support to ambulance services providing PPE such as headtorches and surgical gloves as well as supporting emergency communications. 
• Action Against Hunger is also addressing the spread of infectious diseases which contribute to malnutrition by restoring access to safe water to families displaced by the earthquake. 
• In Syria, the International Rescue Committee is launching two mobile health teams and plans to assist 10 local partners with large scale procurement of medicines. In Turkey it is working with new partners to support health services. 
• In the coming weeks Save the Children will deploy its Health Unit, a team of specialist health workers, to assess the health needs of those affected and help plan a scale-up of essential health services  
• World Vision is working in Turkey and Syria, with priorities including health and medical assistance while the British Red Cross is providing health assistance through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. 
• Age International is providing funding to SEMA which runs three hospitals in north-west Syria. 

DEC Director of Programmes & Accountability Madara Hettiarachchi said: “We are so grateful for the tremendous work of doctors, surgeons and other medical personnel who are helping others while coping with their own personal situation. 

“DEC member charities and their partners are working throughout the earthquake-affected areas in Turkey and Syria, providing assistance to existing medical teams and supplying medicines and essential supplies. 

“The injuries we are hearing about will affect the survivors for months and years. With early treatment, we hope the impact will be reduced. Donations from the UK public will go a long way to helping boost vital medical services.” 

Dr Muhammad Hasan Al-Jned said: “My message to the generous people of Britain: North-west Syria is a region completely affected by this devastating earthquake... There is a very big shortage of medical staff, supplies, consumables and medicines... People sleep in the streets. There is no water and food for children. I hope you can support this region to save people and support life. Please.” 

For more information, please visit the DEC website.

ENDS

Notes to editors:   

Media enquiries please call 020 7387 0200 or 07734 653616 (out of hours).   

A collection of images and video footage of the aftermath of the earthquake and DEC charities responding is available here.   

About the DEC: The DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities at times of crisis overseas to raise funds quickly and efficiently. In these times of crisis, people in life-and-death situations need our help and our mission is to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response. The DEC’s 15 member charities are: Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Plan International UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.      

Fourteen of the DEC’s 15 members are either responding or planning to respond in Turkey and Syria and will receive funds from this appeal. Some may work through trusted local partners. They are Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.     

Through UK Aid Match the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) gives the British public the opportunity to have a say in how the UK aid budget is spent whilst boosting the impact of the very best British charities to change and save the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.    

UK Aid Match has increased the impact of a number of DEC appeals to help those in need around the world, including most recently Pakistan Floods Appeal and Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, both in 2022.  The UK matched up to £25 million of public donations to DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal - the largest commitment ever made to a DEC appeal through UK Aid Match.   

Enquiries about UK Aid Match and UK Government support for Turkey/Syria should be directed to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Newsdesk. Please email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk.    

How to donate:       

• Online: dec.org.uk     
• Phone: 0370 60 60 610    
• Text to give/SMS: for press releases: text SUPPORT to 70787 to donate £10. Other partners should use the specific text codes they have been provided with by the DEC.    
• Donate over the counter at any high street bank or post office, or send a cheque by post to: DEC Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA.