Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that in Hatay—one of the provinces affected by the earthquake—they advise against using tap water as drinking water at this time, and that the water should be used only for cleaning purposes. Koca also answered reporters’ questions after the Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Complex.
Responding to questions about water shortages and reports of epidemic disease in Hatay, Minister Koca stated that there is no systemic problem with the network water supply. He said that water is being delivered, particularly to Antakya and Defne where earthquake impacts were heaviest, and is also reaching other areas more broadly.
Noting that residual chlorine and microbiological analyses are being performed on the water, Koca said, “There is currently no problem. However, we are advising that tap water in Hatay not be used as drinking water during this period. We cannot declare water ‘drinkable’ until its suitability is fully verified. The greatest risk in terms of a potential outbreak is drinking water. There is no problem with general-purpose use of network water. It can be used for cleaning. AFAD is working to supply packaged, potable drinking water to all regions. Therefore, we can say there is no shortage of water.”
Koca described the measures being taken to monitor and prevent possible outbreaks in the region as follows:
“For years we have operated a Syndromic Surveillance system within our Public Health Directorate. Think of it like contact tracing during the pandemic. If a patient presents with an infectious condition, the system traces the source to determine where it originated. In addition to this active system, our Public Health Scientific Committee is also working, with subgroups operating continuously in the field. The commission has been conducting examinations across the entire region and arrived in Hatay as recently as yesterday. At the moment there is no sign of an outbreak. That does not mean an outbreak cannot occur. To prevent outbreaks, we must ensure safe water, safe food, and hygienic sanitation facilities. The stronger we implement these measures, the lower the risk of an outbreak. Currently, there is no outbreak or clustering. Isolated instances of ten or twenty cases of diarrhea among thousands of people do not constitute an outbreak. What concerns us is a contagious outbreak spreading from a single source; thankfully, we are not seeing that now. There is no problem in terms of epidemic disease or water safety in the region.”
Koca: “There are hospitals we need to evacuate”
Koca also highlighted precautions being taken at hospitals that remain at risk from earthquakes. He said, “We will announce within a day or two what actions we will take regarding Cerrahpaşa, Çapa, and other public hospitals in Istanbul and Ankara. There are hospitals we need to evacuate. As we take steps and receive structural analysis results, we will share them with the public. Within a day or two we will provide information about the status of university and public hospitals and the actions to be taken.”
Health services in the earthquake zone
Providing information about health services in the earthquake zone, Koca noted that mobile medical teams are widely conducting examinations and tests, and emphasized that nearly 300,000 patients have received on-site examinations.
Koca said, “More than 17,000 of the health personnel in the region are physicians, and 122,000 health workers are on duty. We have delivered nearly three million primary care services. Our hospitals, field hospitals, mobile health services, and primary care services in collective living areas continue without interruption.” These statements outlined the scope of healthcare operations in the disaster area.
When asked whether the second recruitment of 42,500 positions previously decided for the Ministry of Health had been canceled, Koca replied, “Cancellation is absolutely not the case. However, we are making planning adjustments in light of the new situation. We will announce details as soon as possible.”