Turkish team concludes study on Gaza field hospital

ANKARA

The Turkish delegation, who arrived in Gaza for the feasibility study on a planned field hospital, has concluded their investigations, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has announced.

"Our team in Gaza has finalized the identification of suitable locations for field hospital services. In the upcoming stages, we are strategically planning healthcare services for the injured and ill Palestinian population on-site," Koca said in a written statement on Nov. 29.

According to the outcomes of these studies, decisions on the location for the field hospital and the infrastructure for healthcare services will be determined, Koca stated.

Koca also announced that an aircraft of the Defense Ministry departed from the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri to Egypt around 08:30 a.m. on Nov. 29, carrying medical supplies predominantly consisting of medicine, incubators and ventilators.

The Turkish teams, entrusted with delivering these medical supplies to the civilian population in Gaza, were also set to conduct the transfer of patients from the region to the Turkish capital, the minister said.

"Today [Nov. 29], we plan to bring a total of 50 people, 26 patients and 24 companions. The majority of them are children and young people, with the youngest being 7 months old. We have been informed that the baby has fractures in the arms and legs," Koca explained.

Highlighting the close collaboration with the coordination team comprising Turkish, Egyptian and Israeli authorities for patient transfers, Koca noted that the arrival of the patients from Gaza in Ankara is scheduled for Nov. 29, around 3 or 4 p.m.

Regarding the conditions of patients undergoing treatment in Türkiye, Koca noted that a 63-year-old patient diagnosed with skin cancer lost his life on Nov. 28.

"We have seven patients continuing treatment in the intensive care unit. One is intubated and the rest are currently under close observation," he added.