'For people accustomed to Malaysia’s hot weather, working in the cold was challenging, to put it mildly,' - Lt Col Dr Chan Sze Seng
Facial soft tissue and lip laceration repair under general anaesthesia. — Photos courtesy of the Malaysian Armed Forces
The hospital had the capacity to admit up to 60 inpatients and had 28 doctors comprising 14 clinical and public health specialists and 12 medical officers. The specialised medical services available included primary care, orthopaedics, general surgery, anaesthesia, oral and maxillofacial surgery, ophthalmology, and emergency medicine.
The next day, the troop started building and the field hospital at a location certified as safe near the centre of town and easily accessible to people in need of medical aid. Even today, a month after the earthquake struck, many people in Turkiye are still struggling with the heart-breaking anguish of losing loved ones as well as homelessness, shortages of food and water, power cuts, damaged roads, emotional melt downs and losses of livelihoods.
Specifically, I was not certain about the types of maxillofacial conditions to expect. Despite working with the Royal Medical and Dental Corp of the Malaysian Army for almost 14 years, I was still worried about my limited exposure to work in extreme cold weather. Also, the language barrier could be problematic as it could make me a useless handicap rather than a desired helping hand when treating the patients who could only speak Turkish.
The hospital had a 20-bed capacity that could be expanded to 60 when needed. I was placed in charge of the dental department and surgery wards along with general surgeons, orthopaedi surgeons and ophthalmologists. At times, I would need to interpret skull and chest x-ray films myself. The Malaysian Field Hospital was the sole healthcare centre providing dental treatment within an approximate 100km radius for the first two weeks after the earthquake. Therefore, the predominance of outpatient cases was dental in nature. Dental caries, pulpitis, pericoronitis, and periodontal abscesses were frequently seen. These conditions were the “bread and butter” of the dental clinic.
In my first week at work on the mission, none of the cases I encountered was directly related to the earthquake. Then, a 53-year-old gentleman presented at the emergency department on a freezing cold Wednesday night. A big wooden box fell onto his face after his house was jolted violently by a powerful aftershock. Consequently, he sustained a 5cm-long facial laceration, extending from the medial corner of his right eye to his right cheek.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lower airfares and make flights more accessible, says Dr WeeKUALA LUMPUR: The high price of a return flight ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau is shocking and disappointing, says former transport minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
Read more »
Tiket penerbangan untuk pulang beraya terlalu mahal , kata Ka Siong | The Malaysian InsightBekas menteri pengangkutan berkata tiket sehala dari Kuala Lumpur ke Tawau berharga RM3,138.
Read more »
Haze: KL, Kelantan, Johor record unhealthy air qualityKUALA LUMPUR: The Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in areas in Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor recorded unhealthy air quality as of 4pm today (April 16).
Read more »