2 months on from the Türkiye earthquakes: Going the last mile to provide continuing health services

Kahramanmaraş province – commonly referred to as Maraş – was the epicentre of the first earthquake to hit Türkiye on 6 February 2023. Thousands of people lost their lives, homes were destroyed, and infrastructure, including hospitals and other health facilities, were severely damaged. An estimated 3.3 million people in Türkiye have been displaced because of the disaster, many of them now living in temporary tent settlements while others have moved into container housing.

Here and in surrounding areas, many survivors continue to need access to primary health services for treatment and rehabilitation for existing conditions, to prevent future ill health through immunization and screening programmes, and to receive palliative care for terminal illnesses.

Yet, the disaster has severely disrupted these services, with health facilities damaged, the supply of medicines and medical equipment disrupted, and a shortage of health workers occurring at a time of increased demand.   

But thanks to the determination and dedication of Turkish Ministry of Health staff, often working outside of their normal official duties, as well as volunteers and foreign humanitarian teams, solutions are being found to overcome some of these challenges.