Introduction: On February 6th, 2023, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Türkiye. There was widespread damage, with over 107,000 injured and more than 50,000 deaths. Since needs exceeded the country’s capacities, deployment of emergency medical teams (EMTs) and the activation of the Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell (EMTCC) were coordinated by the Turkish Ministry of Health and the WHO. Despite the scale of the response, there is little research analyzing EMTs’ activities and characteristics. Analysis is critical to understand EMTs’ impact amid the overall response and identify gaps to improve future EMT responses. The objective of this study is to assess EMT response to the Türkiye earthquake. Methods: This mixed-method study includes a review of publicly available information and interviews with key informants who were involved in the EMT response following the earthquake. Data will be gathered from online sources, building on information about EMT deployments published by the WHO. Data on EMT characteristics, services provided, and operational aspects will be collected. Results: A total of 38 EMTs were deployed in response to the earthquake, comprising 4 national (UMKE) and 34 international EMTs. Among international EMTs, 47% arrived from the European region, and the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific regions contributed 7 EMTs each. Out of the 38 deployed teams, 14 were WHO-classified. Regarding EMT type, 74% of EMTs were governmental, 18% were non-governmental organizations, and 8% were military teams. Regarding capacities, a majority (53%) were Type 2 and Type 1 Fixed (29%). Two Type 3, two Specialized Support Teams, and one Specialized Care Team deployed. Amid consultations (n = 50815), 63% were not related and 27% were indirectly related to the earthquake. Trauma only accounted for 20% of the caseload. Conclusion: The results of this study will add to existing knowledge from previous disasters, identifying characteristics for effective EMT response and areas for improvement in future responses.
Reding et al. (Sun,) studied this question.