The ferry, which set off from Libya on the evening of April 3, arrived at the port of Ceşme with 479 people including the wounded, their relatives as well as Turkish and international passengers.
Eighty wounded Libyans listed by the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in Benghazi were also transported to Turkey on board the Ankara ferry. IHH teams in the country made a list of 80 wounded people by visiting all the hospitals in Benghazi. The teams submitted the necessary information about these wounded people including their name lists, information about their medical condition and other necessary information to the relevant official authorities. The IHH teams also helped evacuation of the wounded from Benghazi and their transfer to the ship. Picking up the wounded people from the hospitals, the IHH teams boarded them on the ship via ambulances. The IHH teams also provided logistical support to the Ankara ferry by providing some necessary medical supplies and 100 beds for it.
The Ankara ferry arrived at Çeşme port with the wounded Libyans it picked up from Benghazi and Misrata cities of Libya. The ferry arrived at the port with escort boats from the Turkish Coastal Security Command. The passengers of the ship were welcomed with banners which read, “Welcome to İzmir, Turkey,” in Turkish and Arabic. The ships’ passengers unfurled Turkish and Libyan flags and chanted slogans as they approached the port. “Libya and Turkey are brothers,” “Thank you Turkey,” “May Allah be pleased with you, Turkey” and “We love Turkey,” they chanted.
Health and interior ministers welcome the wounded
Among those who welcomed the passengers of the ship were Health Minister Recep Akdağ and Interior Minister Osman Güneş in addition to approximately 1.000 medical personnel. After a statement was made by a translator from the Religious Affairs Directorate, the ministers boarded the ship to see the wounded and wish them a speedy recovery. Muhammad Gargula who had severe burns on his body was the first to be evacuated from the ship. He was sent to İzmir via a helicopter ambulance. It took almost one hour to evacuate all the wounded people from the ship. Eighteen of the wounded are heavily injured while 70 of them are in critical condition.
İzmir hospitals get mobilized
Some of the wounded Libyans who were transferred to İzmir from Çeşme were hospitalized at the Atatürk Education and Research Hospital. The wounded Libyans who suffer from severe injuries, loss of an organ or bullet injuries were speedily admitted to the special unit established for them at the emergency unit of the hospital. Translators helped doctors to communicate with the wounded Libyans at the special emergency unit. Those who are below the age of 17 were hospitalized at the İzmir Behçet Uz Children’s Hospital.
Thanks to a well-planned organization, there was no chaos at the hospitals although many wounded people were hospitalized at the same time.
Treatment of 66 wounded Libyans hospitalized at the Urla State Hospital began while some other patients were sent to the hospitals in central İzmir. Head doctor of Seferihisar State Hospital Ahmet Uysal said his hospital admitted 25 wounded Libyans.
