They continued the surgery despite the fire
A fire at Akdeniz University Hospital did not prevent the completion of skin cancer surgery for disabled patient Süleyman Akış, despite the evacuation of patients and the rapid response of medical staff. The operation was moved to another operating room during the fire and was successfully concluded.
AA
A 50-year-old disabled patient who was undergoing surgery when a fire broke out at Akdeniz University Hospital regained his health after doctors moved him to another operating room to continue the procedure.
Süleyman Akış, who lives in the Serik district of Antalya and has had speech and intellectual disabilities since birth, was diagnosed with skin cancer two years ago. Despite the treatments he received, the tumor on his head continued to grow, and Akış was taken into surgery by doctors at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Akdeniz University Hospital on March 26.
A fire broke out in the hospital's B block, where the operating room was located, during the procedure. Patients and staff were evacuated from the building amidst heavy smoke. The doctors in the operating room paused the operation and urgently moved the patients to an operating room in another building. The operations were completed in the operating rooms to which the patients were transferred.
"THERE WERE SERIOUS AND MAJOR SURGERIES DURING THE FIRE"
Akdeniz University Rector Prof. Dr. Özlenen Özkan stated that they experienced a serious fire about two weeks ago and that the emergency room, intensive care unit, and operating rooms are still not operational due to the fire.
Stating that the staff evacuated the entire building within 15 minutes amidst the fire and smoke without considering their own lives, Özkan said, "I would like to thank our healthcare personnel again for their efforts. At the time the fire broke out, operations were being performed in three of our five operating rooms. There were serious and major surgeries during the fire. There were brain surgery, hip fracture, and skin tumor surgeries. These three surgeries were quickly concluded and continued in another building. None of our three patients have any health problems. Two patients have been discharged. One will also be discharged soon."
Explaining that the hospital staff made the right decisions during the fire, Özkan said, "We say three surgeries, but if we consider the surgeons, assistants, nurses, anesthesia professors at the bedside of those patients, and their relatives waiting outside, there was a large group of people. The doctors made a very quick decision and, disregarding their own lives, took care of those patients, and the process ended in a healthy way."
Bayram Akış, the older brother of Süleyman Akış, one of the patients who was in surgery during the fire, also expressed that they experienced panic due to the fire, thinking about both their own lives and their brother in the operating room.
Stating that the doctors managed the process very well, Akış said, "They took us out of the building and informed us that our patient had been safely moved to another operating room. The surgery was also very successful. We are grateful to the healthcare workers."