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Nearly 6,500 babies born in southern Türkiye since twin earthquakes

"Every child born is a hope," says Turkish health minister, emphasising that babies and mothers affected by the deadly quakes are receiving the necessary health services "without interruption."

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Over 10,000 neonatal heel pricks, a blood collection procedure on newborns, were done, and more than 5,100 babies were screened for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Nearly 6,500 babies have been born in southern Türkiye since twin earthquakes shook the region earlier this month, the Turkish health minister has said.

A total of "6,447 babies have been born in the earthquake region since the first day of the disaster," Fahrettin Koca said speaking at the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) Coordination Center in the southern province of Hatay on Saturday.

"Every child born is a hope," he said, wishing the babies a good and long life and adding that "the necessary health services are provided to the babies and their mothers without interruption."

Regarding maternity care, the health minister said that 10,489 pregnancy observations were conducted in the earthquake-hit region, and the number of postpartum follow-ups was also more than 10,000.

He said over 10,000 neonatal heel pricks, a blood collection procedure on newborns, were done, more than 5,100 babies were screened for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and 154,212 vaccine doses were administered as part of childhood immunisation services.

“I thought all of (my family) was dead. I didn’t make any extra effort (to get out) as I believed they were not alive.”

An earthquake survivor who had lost hope under the rubble reunites with his baby#TurkiyeQuakes pic.twitter.com/BYhqX2Pesz
— TRT World (@trtworld) February 17, 2023

25 field hospitals established

Speaking on the health services in the quake-hit areas, Koca said: "As of today, the number of patients hospitalised due to the earthquakes in 10 disaster provinces is 6,108. The total number of patients is 21,859. The total number of patients discharged is over 13,500."

Over 51,150 patients and injured people were transferred from the earthquake area to hospitals in other cities, he said.

Also, a total of 114 emergency response units and 25 field hospitals were established in the disaster area, Koca said.

At least 40,642 people were killed by the two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on February 6, according to the latest figures.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes were centred in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kilis, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa. More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.

They were also felt in other countries in the region, including Syria, where at least 5,840 people have been killed.

SOURCE: AA