The observations and experience of the Surgical Disaster Response Team from Ankara Etlik City Hospital in the earthquakes of February 6, 2023 in Türkiye.

Background: Two major earthquakes struck southeastern Türkiye consecutively on February 6, 2023. On the same day, a Surgical Disaster Response Team was immediately formed at Ankara Etlik City Hospital and deployed to the affected region, where they worked for seven days at Hatay-Reyhanlı State Hospital. The aim of this study was to present the experiences, data, and recommendations of the Ankara Etlik City Hospital Surgical Disaster Response Team following the February 6, 2023 earthquakes.

Methods: Data were collected from the individual records of the physicians in the Surgical Disaster Response Team. The physicians provided information about the units in which they worked, their roles, the procedures they performed, treatments administered, observations made, experiences encountered, and recommendations for future disaster response efforts.

Results: The anesthesiologists in the team worked in the operating theatres and intensive care units. In addition to performing surgical procedures, the cardiovascular surgeon, general surgeons, and pediatric surgeon also assisted in the emergency department's red and yellow zones as needed. The orthopedic surgeons performed 96 interventions, the neurosurgeon 11, the cardiovascular surgeon five, the general surgeons four, and the pediatric surgeon four. Of the total procedures, 80% were performed by orthopedic surgeons, while the remaining 20% were carried out by specialists from other surgical branches.

Conclusion: Extremity injuries are common among earthquake survivors and usually require orthopedic intervention. In a hospital where the administrative staff are also disaster victims, management should be assumed by the incoming disaster response team. A detailed disaster preparedness plan must outline which regions will provide support, including personnel, transportation, materials, and patient referrals, to specific disaster-affected areas. In addition to surgeons, the disaster response team must include emergency medicine specialists, internal medicine specialists, pediatricians, and gynecologists. The Surgical Disaster Response Team should be a fully integrated unit consisting of doctors, nurses, and auxiliary personnel.