"Medical Approach to Natural Disasters"
Aiming to provide knowledge and awareness about medical, psychosocial, surgical and managerial aspects and natural disasters to students who will take over the health system in the future, the 2nd Medical Student Congress (ÜSCOM) was held at Üsküdar University NP Health Campus İbn-i Sina Auditorium.
Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Şuayıp Birinci stated that "When everyone serves their own future, they are already serving their country. Serve your own future, you are already serving the community." Stating that the earthquake affected 26 million people, including Syria, Birinci said that they prevented at least 2 thousand amputations.
President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "Medicine as a profession aims to be beneficial to people. You cannot do this job if you do not like to do good to people."
The Medical Student Congress, which was held last year for the first time and hosted by Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, was held with international participation this year. The theme of the congress was determined as 'Medical Approach to Natural Disasters', especially earthquakes.
Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Şuayıp Birinci, President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan and Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör made the opening speeches at the congress, which aims to provide information and awareness about medical, psychosocial, surgical and administrative aspects and natural disasters to students who will take over the health system in the future.
The estimated cost of the Maraş earthquake is around 104 billion dollars
Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Şuayıp Birinci stated that there is no geography where disasters do not occur, and noted that the number of disasters increased from 2002 to 2021, and that the number of disasters, which was 387 according to the UN, is predicted to increase to 560 in 2030.
Pointing out that disaster risks have increased in Türkiye, Dr. Birinci said that the total disasters experienced in the world today affect the population of 2.5 more than the population of Türkiye, that is, 185 million people are affected.
Noting that the easiest financial effects of disasters are calculated, Dr. Birinci explained that 16 million people were affected by the Düzce earthquake, it had a total cost of 22 billion dollars and destroyed 12 percent of the gross domestic product.
Birinci said: "The currently calculated cost of the Maraş earthquake, which we call the disaster of the century, is around 104 billion dollars.”
We prevented at least 2,000 amputations
Stating that the sociological changes of the earthquake will also be learned by experiencing, Dr. Birinci said that the earthquake affected 26 million people, including Syria.
Dr. Birinci stated that serious decisions were taken as the Ministry of Health under earthquake conditions and that they tried to reach the incident area by sea, air and land, and that they planned to take the patient out of the earthquake zone immediately, and that they carried 52 thousand people, including the Presidential planes, and that they thought that they prevented at least 2 thousand amputations.
Stating that those with chronic diseases deliver their medicines to patients, Dr. Birinci said that the National Medical Rescue Team Unit (UMKE) was sent to the scene from the first moment and touched the lives of many people.
When everyone serves their own future...
Explaining that they focus on the person in the organizations, Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Şuayıp Birinci said, "When everyone serves their own future, they already serve their country. Serve your own future, you are already serving society. At the moment, we are working on everything according to Istanbul."
Dr. Birinci also noted that the World Health Organization wants to report the operation carried out in the earthquake zone together.
Preparing to be least affected by the consequences of the disaster
Stating that in disaster situations such as earthquakes, citizens should know that it is normal to have problems in reaching public services in the first 72 hours, Dr. Birinci emphasized the importance of preparing to be least affected by the consequences of the disaster.
Explaining that the communication of the hospitals was cut off at the time of the earthquake in Hatay, Dr. Birinci explained that photographs were taken for burials, identities were matched with artificial intelligence, and technology was used at the highest level.
The physician must have a vision
President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the congress, which was previously planned to be held in June, was postponed due to the February 6 earthquake and its subject was changed to disaster, and said that there have been two major disasters in the last 3 years, one of them is the pandemic and the other is the earthquake.
Reminding that Ibn Sina said that “We cannot escape, we are doctors” when everyone was fleeing during the plague epidemic in the Khorasan region, Prof. Tarhan said that Ibn Sina washed his hands with vinegar and took care of the patients.
Defining a person's goal that exceeds himself as a vision, Prof. Tarhan pointed out that physicians should have a vision.
Do not be a physician if you do not know how to do good to people
Emphasizing the importance of physicians being observers, Prof. Tarhan said: "Medicine as a profession aims to be beneficial to people. You cannot do this profession if you do not like to do good to people. When a judge dispenses justice, the pleasure of dispensing justice is more important to the judge.
In medicine, the pleasure of treating the patient, the satisfaction of the patient, and the pleasure of receiving a patient’s prayer should be more important than anything else. Be a good person first, then be a good physician. You cannot be a good doctor without being a good person."
Prof. Tarhan also noted that even in the fight against disasters, a person's biggest rival is themselves.
Natural disasters are moments of crisis
Reminding that University held theStudent Medical Congress for the 2nd time, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör addressed the medical students. Prof. Güngör stated that "You are trained as medical doctors. However, our university has an important perspective and philosophy. No matter what job we do, let's first reach the depth of being human, let's learn to touch people. Wherever you are, we need to touch people biologically and try to heal them, as well as emotional and spiritual touches. Natural disasters are moments of crisis. There are biological breakdowns, injuries and losses, but first there is an emotional and mental breakdown."
The primary formula for reaching people is correct communication
Highlighting the importance of establishing an emotional relationship when approaching people in times of crisis, Prof. Güngör said: "If we cannot touch emotionally, we cannot enter the biological healing process. You also have to understand people. The primary formula for reaching people is the right communication. If we cannot access it, we cannot start any improvement process anyway.
Unfortunately, there was an earthquake disaster and unfortunately after the wounds that were mostly not healed, we will focus here on the roadmap of what we can do for the next crises. We will talk about what mistakes we made, where we made mistakes, what we have experienced as a country, what we are experiencing, and how we can fill the places we left missing for what will happen next."
Our duty is to take precautions before disasters happen
Congress President Prof. Hikmet Koçak stated that the earthquake was noticed when it happened; however, it was forgotten when time passed, and said that "We gave importance to this congress to raise awareness. Not only earthquakes, but also other disasters can occur. There are 571 natural disasters in the world. It is known that there are 21 of them in Türkiye. If it is our duty to take precautions before disasters happen, it is to pass with little damage." Stating that the congress was grouped under four main headings as organization, surgical approach, internal approach and psychosocial approach, Koçak stated that "We planned this congress thinking that we would learn lessons."
The earthquake on February 6
Student Congress President Ahmet Sait Dağaşan started his speech by reminding the earthquake that took place on February 6. Dağaşan said: "In the morning of the night when we had everything, we woke up having lost most of it. We have witnessed the efforts of health workers. As the congress team, we thought about what we can do about this and organized our medical approach in natural disasters congress to raise awareness. I hope that in the face of the expected big Marmara earthquake, I hope we will not be late as it was on February 6."
What causes "Sudden Death in Earthquake Victims"?
In the opening session of the congress chaired by Prof. Hikmet Kotak, Prof. Bingür Sönmez gave a speech titled "Sudden Death in Earthquake Victims".
In the other session titled Organization in Disasters and chaired by Prof. Haydar Sur, Journalist Kemal Öztürk gave a presentation on "Communication and Organization in Disasters", Nasuh Mahruki gave a presentation on "Türkiye's Seismicity and Fight Against Earthquakes", Pharmacist Bilge Çalışkan gave a presentation on "Pharmacy Services in an Earthquake/Observations of a Pharmacist" and Prof. Nesrin Erçelen on "Urban Disaster Coordination: Hatay Earthquake Experience". In the session titled Psychosocial Approach in the Diseasters chaired by Prof. Sermin Kesebir, Prof. Dr. Melek Gözde Luş gave presentation on "Psychiatric Approach in Children", Assoc. Prof. Serdar Nurmedov gave presentation on "Psychiatric Approach in Adults", Prof. İsmail Barış gave presentation on "Social Approach" and Asst. Prof. Tuğba Ünsal Sapan gave a presentation on "Genetic Identification in Natural Disasters". Moreover, students also made presentations.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)