MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, TURKEY – The Central Board of Muhammadiyah donated all emergency field hospital equipment worth more than 2.5 billion rupiahs to the Turkish Ministry of Health after the end of the assignment of 23 EMT Muhammadiyah members to become part of the Indonesia Emergency Medical Team (INA–EMT) for the Indonesian Humanitarian mission for Turkey.
The grant of the Indonesian emergency field hospitals and the tools was handed over by the Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Dr. Lalu Muhammad Iqbal to the member of International Health Relations Office of the Ministry of Health of Turkey Arif Çetin on Monday (27/2). Besides, in that handover, Muhammadiyah was represented by Abdoel Malik, dr. Corona Rintawan, Sp.EM, and all EMT Muhammadiyah members serving in Hataya, Turkey.
Muhammadiyah through dr. Agus Taufiqurrahman, SpS., M.Kes. viewed that Turkey urgently needs sustainable management due to the earthquake which claimed 43,556 lives and collapsed more than 6,000 apartments and 150,000 other commercial places.
Indeed, Turkey still requires further management, resources, and devices to confront aftershocks. It was reported that aftershocks occurred 3,930 times since the first earthquake on 6 February 2023.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu Muhamad Iqbal talked about the plan to transfer the field hospital management. “The INA-EMT officers and doctors will officially end their emergency medical mission on 27 February 2023. However, all field hospitals will be granted to the Turkish Ministry of Health that will continue operations with Turkish officers and doctors for the next three months,” said Lalu.
The decision to grant the equipment was made after discussions, studies, and coordination with various parties, including the commander of the EMT, the Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey, the Turkish Ministry of Health, the EMT Muhammadiyah team, and representatives of Turkish earthquake survivors.
“Muhammadiyah’s sincerity is unbelievable. We will leave the hospitals tents and the equipment as our legacy to the Turkish nation that whenever we need them, they are always there for us,” said the Indonesian Ambassador, who coordinated with Muhammadiyah since the beginning of the preparation of the humanitarian aid in Turkey.
The Indonesian field hospital complex consisted of eighteen health service tents; fifteen belonged to the EMT Muhammadiyah, and the others were tents of the Indonesian Red Cross and the Ministry of Health. In addition, there were eleven supporting large tents owned by the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB), the Ministry of Health, the National Police, and the Indonesian Military, and three of the eleven tents were dormitory tents of the EMT Muhammadiyah. Besides, medical equipment was also donated for health services during the emergency.
Chairman of the Muhammadiyah dr. Agus Taufiqurrahman expressed his gratitude to the government of the Republic of Indonesia, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the BNPB, the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, the Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey, the Indonesian Military, and the National Police who kept coordinating with Muhammadiyah to prepare the needs Muhammadiyah volunteers involved in the INA-EMT.
Muhammadiyah through the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC) managing the EMT Muhammadiyah, LAZISMU (the Muhammadiyah Zakat Body), the Muhammadiyah councils, and the Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Special Branch of Turkey will support programs of humanitarian assistance continuation after the Turkish earthquake.
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