Background: Turkey which has experienced many powerful earthquakes suffered two major ones in 1999. In response PHAT called upon its earlier experience in disaster medicine to develop efforts establishing the new field of disaster medicine.
Methods: The association’s Disaster Medicine Unit, with its motto ” If you do not succeed to get prepared, then get prepared not to succeed” adopted a multidisciplinary approach in seeking to establish the field of disaster medicine in Turkey. The Unit aimed at achieving the following objectives: (i) raising public awareness about disaster medicine, (ii) facilitating coordination, communication and exchange of information both within and among NGOs, universities and governmental institutions working in disaster medicine related issues, (iii) serving as a pressure-group for the establishment of a National Disaster Strategy and Plan for Turkey, (iv) communicating correct information to decision-makers and thus contributing to the application of better standards in disaster medicine, (v) taking steps to form a National Disaster Medicine Association, (vi) working for the inclusion of disaster medicine into the curriculum of institutions providing higher education in health services, and (vii) in association with the International Society of Disaster Medicine, serving as the host organizing association for the VIII the World Disaster Medicine Conference to be held in the year 2003 in Turkey. Results: The paper discusses the relative success the Unit achieved in meeting these seven objectives and the reasons why.
Conclusions: Judging from the Turkish experience certain patterns of disaster medicine assistance emerge which may be relevant and useful in other disaster settings.
Learning Objectives: 1. To learn PHAT’s approach to disaster medicine in an earthquake setting. 2. To evaluate its success in establishing the field of disaster medicine in Turkey.
Keywords: International Health,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.