An earthquake disaster in Turkey: An overview of the experience of the Israeli Defence Forces field hospital in Adapazari

On 17 August 1999 at 3:04 a.m., an earthquake of 7.4 magnitude (Richter sca le) struck the Marmara region in Turkey. The city of Adapazari suffered 2,6 80fatalities with approximately 5,300 injured. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) field hospital arrived at Adapazari, on da y four after the quake. The team consisted of 102 personnel. The field hosp ital acted as a secondary referral centre. A total of 1,205 patients were t reated in the field hospital between day four and day 14 of the earthquake. The frequency distribution of the medical problems seen in the field hospi tal was 32 per cent internal medicine, 13 per cent general surgery includin g plastic, 21 per cent orthopaedic surgery, 23 per cent paediatric disease, 10 per cent obstetrics and gynaecology and I per cent major psychiatric di sorders. A mean number of 35 patients per day were hospitalised in the fiel d hospital for between 24 hours to one week.