The institution of Umke Atak, a specialised unit geared towards bolstering search and rescue efforts alongside medical interventions inside Türkiye’s National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE), was introduced by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Thursday.
The announcement was made throughout a program held on the Ministry of Health Bilkent Campus in Ankara, the place Koca engaged with UMKE volunteers from all corners of the nation.
During the occasion, the minister visited a photograph exhibition and carried out an up-close inspection of the UMKE fleet, together with each the newly acquired autos and the Emergency Response Unit.
Addressing the journalists on the finish of the occasion, Koca famous that the National Medical Rescue Team has been operational for twenty years, having acquired EMT-2 accreditation from the World Health Organization (WHO) about three years in the past.
Koca acknowledged UMKE’s pivotal function because the vanguard in catastrophe and emergency zones, notably in earthquake-prone areas, highlighting the choice to mark the second week of August as National UMKE Week.
“Especially in the forthcoming period, we decided to celebrate the week between Aug. 7-13 every year as the National UMKE Week,” he mentioned.
“We have 15,200 UMKE volunteers. We know that, especially during disasters and emergencies, citizens expect medical support and search and rescue activities from the UMKE team that arrives in the field early. We have witnessed that this expectation is sometimes shifted to different points,” Koca defined.
“In the future, considering this situation, we have established a structure under UMKE called ‘UMKE Atak’ to conduct search and rescue activities in addition to medical rescue service,” he famous.
Koca famous that this improvement represents a big shift towards a mixed construction providing each providers. He additionally acknowledged plans to extend their numbers over time to boost their function in emergencies and disasters.
Expressing his gratitude to all volunteers, Koca highlighted that the construction of 15,200 volunteers composed solely of voluntary well being care employees is a singular group internationally acknowledged for offering each medical and search and rescue providers.
Selim Altınarık, Istanbul UMKE coordinator, offered details about Atak autos, delving into the character of the communication and rescue strategy of UMKE groups within the subject.
Altınarık famous that their stock contains a number of autos and mentioned they’d start designing autos that may home communication gear and gear utilized in city search and rescue operations.
“Communication is our major challenge in disaster areas. Even without internet in the vicinity of the mobile communication vehicle, we can rapidly activate the radio communication system and establish internal communication,” he mentioned.
Altınarık additionally highlighted that by way of the car’s satellite tv for pc methods, they’ll entry the web from satellites and distribute it inside a particular space.
“We generate the energy needed for the vehicle through wind panels on the vehicle, as well as solar energy panels located right next to the satellite systems. We also have ATVs. Through communication equipment, we transport personnel to advanced positions, ensuring uninterrupted communication. We possess rescue equipment, including stretcher groups used in urban search and rescue. We have systems that can carry patients over water without sinking, lift patients in snowy conditions and drag them, which are used in different stages of urban search and rescue.”
Explaining that the coaching curriculum can also be deliberate, the place they may present data to the personnel on tips on how to use the gear, Altınarık mentioned, “When those studies are completed, our teams will continue to serve our citizens in the field, shoulder to shoulder with other Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) firefighters engaged in search and rescue, and helping them at every stage.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
