Various challenges tested our nation's determination: Erdoğan
ANKARA
“We, along with the world, were negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which cost the lives of millions of people. Thanks to the selfless efforts of our healthcare army and the timely measures we took, we did not leave any of our citizens helpless during the pandemic,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during an iftar with healthcare workers on April 7.
Erdoğan and First Lady Emine Erdoğan met with healthcare workers during an iftar dinner at Etlik City Hospital in Ankara.
Highlighting the various challenges that tested our nation's determination to fight and our country's capacity to resist, President Erdoğan said: “We, along with the world, were negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which cost the lives of millions of people. Thanks to the selfless efforts of our healthcare army and the timely measures we took, we did not leave any of our citizens helpless during the pandemic. We did not have any people who were turned away from the hospital door, who died because they could not find medicine, who could not access health services, and who could not access vaccines even if they wanted to.”
Emphasizing that none of the desperate images seen in much richer countries than Türkiye were experienced here, President Erdoğan said: “We achieved to manage this epidemic, which is called the greatest health crisis that humanity faced in the last century, with a truly admirable organizational capability. We had to deal with the consequences of the war between Ukraine and Russia, which threatened to spread. By pursuing a balanced and conciliatory policy, we did not allow the spark of war to spread to our country. We also saved countless lives by taking additional steps.”
“We are determinedly continuing our efforts to stop the bloodshed right next to us,” Erdoğan said. “Just as we were beginning to see the way ahead and recover ourselves, we woke up on the morning of February 6 to one of the darkest days in our history. The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş caused serious devastation and loss of life in 11 provinces where 14 million people live.”
“Among the more than 50 thousand of our brothers and sisters who lost their lives, there are 505 healthcare personnel. I wish Allah’s mercy upon all of them. I once again extend my condolences to our nation and to our healthcare community,” Erdoğan added.
“Just like the health crisis of the century, the Republic of Türkiye has been very successful in dealing with the disaster of the century. It is not only us who say this; our foreign guests who have made support visits to our country also confirm this fact. We have stood by our victims in meeting all their needs, from search and rescue to the treatment of our injured, from shelter to food supply,” President Erdoğan said. “Our healthcare army was again at the forefront in this process. From the moment of the earthquake, we have been with our people with 812 UMKE and 112 emergency healthcare vehicles, 14 air ambulances, 1,426 ambulances and nearly 16 thousand UMKE and 112 emergency healthcare personnel. We transferred 2,580 of our injured, saved from the rubble, to other cities by air, nearly 49,000 by land and 327 by sea. Currently, 7,731 earthquake victims are receiving inpatient treatment and 1,008 of them are in intensive care. I wish them a speedy recovery from Allah.”