Scabies outbreaks in Turkey: "We have had quite a few, we serve the population that has been living in their car for a month"

For many of those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria,

are true heroes.

They do not wear a red cape, but they do wear a vest of the same color that makes them easily identifiable and that has become, for many, a sign of hope.

Since last February 23, Gómez, a hospital pharmacist, has been working in Alejandreta (in the province of Hatay, Turkey) as a voluntary cooperator

of the field hospital that the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Aecid) has deployed in the area.

In just a few hours she will return to Spain, to her job in the Pharmacy Service of the Miguel Servet University Hospital (Zaragoza), and she will bring with her the knowledge and experience that comes from caring for patients in this type of catastrophe.

Despite the fact that her day-to-day life in Turkey is non-stop, Gómez has been able to find time to speak with this newspaper and

as a health worker in the field and expose the work they are doing there.

To begin with, he wants to explain that the

(acronym for

) was born as a result of an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to

to attend catastrophes from the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. The The initiative seeks to ensure that countries that have the capacity to send emergency health teams in this type of situation adhere and are in a position to offer international assistance when required.

"Spain is one of the adherent countries and, following Turkey's request for international aid, it made itself available through the Aecid [public body integrated into the Ministry of Social Affairs and Cooperation], responsible for this project" , points out.

rotation of professionals

A few days after the earthquakes, which took place at dawn on February 6, the Aecid had already set up its field hospital in Alejandreta, which was attended by a first team of health professionals.

On

.

"In this second rotation we are

, of which 51 are health workers, ten are logistics professionals (firefighters and SUMMA 112 personnel) and three are cooks from the NGO Cesal."

MS

The main task of these professionals is to care for the wounded and patients who are taken to this

, which, as Gómez details, has the capacity to

and has an emergency room, outpatient clinics, a pharmacy, laboratory, operating room, deliveries, radiology, physiotherapy and a psychosocial care department.

In addition, it points out that

and medical supplies for

The daily life of the pharmacy

As the person in charge of the field hospital pharmacy, Gómez points out that his main task is to manage the

of medicines, and to guarantee that they are properly preserved and used correctly in the different services.

"

that all the drugs are used in the right patients and in the right conditions, and also that there are enough drugs to treat the different pathologies that we encounter."

Although it may seem so, this task is not easy.

"The difficulty lies in the fact that,

. It is a day-to-day job that involves working very quickly and trying to maintain the volume of medications necessary to be able to respond to the population you serve ", it states.

In addition, he assures that although it is true that to be part of this operation, prior training by professionals is necessary, until you arrive on the ground you do not realize how important one of the most necessary qualities is: versatility

.

"One of the basic premises is the ability to adapt and be able to do things that you don't do in your day-to-day life in Spain. Prioritizing tasks is key here and, although you always try to contribute your knowledge and do clinical work, you have to keep in mind that means and capacities are more limited. Hence the need to know how to adapt quickly".

Night view of the field hospital.EM

Along with this, he highlights the important

and the incredible brotherhood that is created between the members of the team, since everyone "leaves their shoulders" when and where necessary.

"In the first days, all the professionals participate in the assembly of the hospital, and cooperate in receiving materials and putting everything in order to start working. In addition, we lend a hand wherever it is needed and we organize ourselves to help where more necessary. Here there are no hierarchies or estates. We all collaborate in everything," Gómez emphasizes.

scabies outbreaks

So much so, that this collaborative work translates into cooperation and knowledge sharing in clinical situations that the team's health workers do not usually experience in their day-to-day life in Spain.

An example that Gómez exposes are the

that they have had to deal with.

"We have had quite a few, since we are serving people who have lost their homes and who have been living in their car or in a refugee camp for a month in conditions where there is no adequate hygiene."

This has made them live a reality in which cooperation has played a key role: "The medicines we brought from Spain have fallen short and we have had to contact an association of pharmacists in Turkey who have developed a magisterial formula of

with which none of us were accustomed to working. We have had to find out how the treatment with this drug is carried out and among all of us we have discussed and analyzed how to approach the situation".

Most of the professionals integrated into the

are part of the National Health System and voluntarily join to work on possible missions to which they may be called by the Aecid.

"This project is a public initiative, promoted by the Spanish Cooperation and with which

through our public services", assures the specialist pharmacist, who adds: "To be able to be part of this project you need the permission from your superiors, either from the Management or the Medical Directorate. It is a voluntary work in which, in the event of any catastrophe or emergency situation, you can be deployed

".

However, and despite the effort involved, Gómez does not hide the immense professional satisfaction that comes from working as a health worker in an emergency situation and doing your

to help combat it.

"For us, it's a great experience. It's true that they are very long shifts, but

and that, in addition, it creates a lot of camaraderie and a lot of team spirit."

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