“Hugs and tears…”: How Turkey, which was hit by an earthquake, said goodbye to an Indian Army team
With tears in their eyes, warm affection, and a deep sense of gratitude, Turkish people said goodbye to a medical team from the Indian Army as they left the country. The team had helped Turkiye after the earthquake by providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
The 99-person team that set up and ran a fully equipped 30-bed field hospital in Iskenderun, Hatay Province, was greeted as heroes when they got back to India.
Some of the team members PTI talked to shared their experiences and problems and talked about how friendly and helpful the Turkish people were, even though there was “a language barrier.”
“When we were leaving, they (the Turks) were crying. We were also very moved by what happened. They gave us hugs to say thank you. It was a very humble moment “A team member who asked not to be named said this.
“What we saw there was painful: scenes of devastation and destruction caused by the big earthquake and its strong aftershock on February 6,” he said.
From February 7 to 19, the medical team of the 60 Para Field Hospital helped people in Turkey who were hurt by the earthquake.
Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande said on Tuesday that the force is proud of its medical team for helping Turkiye after the earthquake. He also said that the team’s ability to set up a field hospital quickly shows that they are well-prepared for operations.
After talking with people on the medical team, he said this.
He said that the field hospital helped about 3,600 people and did many major and minor surgeries, including one that saved a person’s life by removing an arm.
“The hospital was moved to Turkey in just six hours, and they landed at Adana airfield on February 8,” Gen. Pande told reporters. “Within a short amount of time, the Indian Army medical team set up a 30-bed field hospital at Iskenderun in the Hatay region.”
“They were among the first medical teams to arrive in Turkey because they made the right decision at the right time and worked well with everyone else,” he said.
India started “Operation Dost” to help Turkey and Syria after a devastating earthquake on February 6 killed more than 30,000 people in different parts of both countries.
Another member of the medical team said that many Turkish people came to “see and meet us” because they knew that a group of helpers from India had arrived.
“One man had driven a very long way to get to the field hospital set up in a school, and he told us that he had come just to meet people from ‘Hindistan,'” the member of the team said.
He said with a smile that the Turks call India “Hindistan.”
When asked how they got around the language problem, a member of the medical team said, “There were interpreters to help us.”
“English teachers also helped us talk to Turkish people, and the same was true for them,” he said.
Army Chief Gen. Pande also said on Tuesday that the medical team is very grateful for the help and cooperation of the Turkish people.
“The fact that they were able to set up a field hospital in Turkey in such a short amount of time shows how well they are always ready for operations,” Gen. Pande said.
India’s “60 Para Field Ambulance” has a long and distinguished history. During the Korean War in the 1950s, it helped injured soldiers in a very important way by giving them medical care.
“We are proud of our medical team for helping people in Turkey who were hurt by the earthquake,” Gen. Pande said.
After the earthquake, India sent supplies and medical and rescue teams to Turkey to help. As part of its help for those affected by the earthquake, India also sent supplies and medicines to Syria.
In a statement released on Monday, the Ministry of Defence said that the Indian disaster relief team, which was made up of 99 people from the Indian Army Field Hospital and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), went home on February 20 after putting in a “stupendous effort” to help earthquake victims in Turkey’s Hatay Province.
The 99-person medical team, which included specialist medical officers and paramedics, set up their field hospital in Iskenderun, Turkey, on February 8. It said that the hospital had a fully functional operating room and a trauma care centre.
There are medical specialists, surgical specialists, anaesthetists, orthopedists, maxillofacial surgeons, and specialists in community medicine who will help earthquake victims get medical care. The statement also said that a female medical officer was sent to care for women patients.
