Turkey earthquake disaster sees Colchester medics deployed

16 Medical Regiment, bolstered by personnel from the RAF’s Tactical Medical Wing, set up a medical treatment facility in Turkoglu, close to the earthquake’s epicentre.

The death toll in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 50,000 people after a 7.8 magnitude quake struck in February.

Staffed by more than 70 military clinicians, the facility housed two intensive care beds, an emergency department, low dependency ward, two GP-led primary healthcare teams, and a field mental health nurse.

Amid freezing temperatures and continuing aftershocks, the facility was declared ready to receive its first patients just over 12 hours after the troops arrived in country.

Colchester-based medics were deployed to Turkey to help in the relief efforts (Image: Newsquest)

Lieutenant Colonel Seb Burn, commanding officer of 16 Medical Regiment, said: “Arriving in Turkey, it was hard to comprehend the scale of devastation and human suffering.

“Bringing together the expertise of Turkish and UK medics, military and civilian, meant that we were able to achieve more together to provide lifesaving treatment and support to the people of Turkey.

“It is a collective achievement to have treated more than 6,000 patients at the Turkoglu facility over the two-week period that we were working together.”

The medics also sent out medical outreach patrols to remote villages in the mountains of Kahramanmaras Province.

Colchester-based medics were deployed to Turkey to help in the relief efforts (Image: Newsquest)

Combat medical technician Private Jodie Webb said: “By getting out on the road we’ve been able to reach more people who need help.

“The level of destruction out in the villages is quite severe; it’s hard to picture your own family in this situation and that motivates you to do all that you can.

“We’ve been welcomed wherever we’ve gone, and patients’ have been really appreciative.

“I joined the Army as a medic because I wanted to help people, and it’s been so rewarding to do that during a humanitarian disaster on this scale.”

Colchester-based 16 Medical Regiment’s core role is to provide medical support to 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, the British Army's global response force, and it is trained and equipped to deploy at short notice by parachute, helicopter or air landing.

Lt Col Burn said: “We are the natural choice for this mission because our role within airborne forces is defined by our readiness.

“We are always packed and ready to go anywhere in the world with the flexible mindset and skills to do whatever is asked of us.”