When a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Silivri of Istanbul, health care workers at Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital remained with the infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, prioritizing their safety.
The Turkish Ministry of Health shared a video on social media under the title “We are grateful to you,” showing staff standing by the incubators during the tremor. The video touched many viewers.
Hubeydullah Görmez, one of the nurses who stayed with the newborns during the quake, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that despite the fear, both doctors and nurses immediately focused on the babies’ well-being.
“Your instinct naturally takes you to the newborns,” Görmez said.
“We rushed to check if the babies were okay, if they needed anything. My colleagues in other rooms did the same, if not more. We then started considering evacuation plans. Fortunately, our hospital is strong and reliable, so we felt confident. Our top priority was the safety of the newborns.”
Professor Dr. Özgür Yiğit, chief physician and coordinator of the hospital, emphasized that earthquakes are a part of life and hoped they would not be repeated. He noted that hospitals become critical centers during such disasters.
“Hospitals are important both for protecting inpatients and for receiving those affected outside,” Yiğit said. “They must continue functioning even in chaos.”
He also highlighted the dedication of health care workers: “Earthquakes require a different response system, but we’ve once again seen that health care workers are always there for their patients, even when they’re afraid for themselves. Doctors, midwives, nurses – all of them prioritize the well-being of their patients no matter what.”
Yiğit pointed out that the Başakşehir Çam and Sakura Hospital is equipped with over 2,000 seismic isolators, making it one of the most resilient hospitals in Istanbul. Thanks to this system, the tremors were milder and more controlled inside the hospital.
“Seismically isolated hospitals are designed to operate during earthquakes,” he said. “This event showed us that even during moderate tremors and aftershocks, all medical services continued – surgeries, emergency treatments and patient care.”
He concluded by stating: “Having such a protected hospital in Istanbul is crucial. On behalf of all Istanbul residents, I thank everyone involved, especially our president.”