PORT DICKSON: Another small-scale Malaysian field hospital is expected to be set up in Turkiye to provide humanitarian aid to earthquake victims, says Army chief Jeneral Tan Sri Zamrose Mohd Zain.
He said a team would be mobilised soon to identify a suitable location for the field hospital, in addition to assessing logistical needs, types of assistance needed, and the total number of people who require help.
“The current field hospital has 110 personnel, but this new field hospital is smaller and only for Level 2 medical services, namely emergency response,” he told reporters after launching the 90th Army Day celebration here yesterday, reported Bernama.
The Malaysian Armed Forces has set up one field hospital in Turkiye to provide medical services to earthquake victims in the country, and it is expected to be operational tomorrow.
In the meantime, Jen Zamrose did not rule out the possibility of deploying more soldiers to assist in the search and rescue operation (SAR) in Turkiye.
However, an evaluation and review will be done from time to time to see if it is appropriate to send additional military personnel, he added.
Asked whether the soldiers faced any constraints during the SAR operation, he said those who were deployed were trained personnel who had served in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh and various Malbatt (Malaysian Battalion) missions and could adapt to any situation.
The devastating earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale that hit southern Turkiye and northwestern Syria last Monday has claimed over 35,000 lives so far.
Earlier, in his message in conjunction with the 90th Army Day celebration on March 1, Jen Zamrose said that one of the main focuses of the army this year was to ensure that military housing projects are completed per schedule and able to meet personnel’s needs, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
“This year’s celebration is more meaningful because 90 is also the service number of our national hero, Leftenan Adnan Saidi,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government is engaging with the Syria embassy here on the best possible options to deliver relief assistance to southern Turkiye in the earthquake that also severely hit Syria.
This includes the urgent deployment of an advance team from Malaysia to Syria, Wisma Putra said.
In a tweet, the Foreign Ministry said the Joint Secretariat to Facilitate the Relief Assistance to Syria met with the chargé d’affaires of the Syria embassy in Malaysia, Mohd Ghiath Ibrahim, at the ministry in Putrajaya.
Also present at the briefing were the ministry’s deputy secretary-general Datuk Norman Muhamad and other team members from various government agencies.
The ministry also urged Malaysians to channel their contributions through the Wisma Putra disaster fund, Tabung Bencana Kementerian Luar Negeri (TBKLN).
Donations can be channelled to TBKLN at account number: 1054 9000 0599 (Affin Bank).
More than 4,500 victims were reportedly killed and thousands others injured in Syria by the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes on Feb 6.