Treatment of cancer patients from Gaza continues in Türkiye

The diagnoses of the 27 patients from Gaza who were brought to Türkiye have been confirmed, and their treatments are ongoing, Turkish Health Minister, Fahrettin Koca, wrote on X.

"Out of the patients, 26 have been diagnosed with cancer. Among them are 12 women, and two individuals are under the age of 18. A soft tissue cancer was identified in one of the patients under 18, while the other was found to have a genetic blood disorder," Koca expressed on Saturday.

"Among our adult patients, 8 have been diagnosed with breast cancer, 4 with advanced-stage lung cancer, 3 with soft tissue cancer, 2 with colon cancer, 1 with bile duct cancer, 1 with bladder cancer, 1 with kidney cancer, 1 with stomach cancer, 1 with lymphoma, 1 with leukemia, 1 with skin cancer, and 1 with brain cancer," he explained.

As the examination and treatment processes for the patients from Gaza are continuing at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, he ensures that the expert doctors are carrying out these processes.

Their departure from the besieged enclave

The cancer patients and their escorts departed for a military airport in northeastern Egypt for treatment in Türkiye on Wednesday.

Fahrettin Koca also arrived in the Egyptian capital earlier on Wednesday and was received by his Egyptian counterpart Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and other officials.

He then visited the Nasr Institute Hospital to see the wounded people brought from Gaza and was briefed about their health conditions.

He said the patients sent to Türkiye from Gaza are the first Palestinians to travel from Egypt to another country for treatment.

Noting that there are nearly 1,000 patients with cancer in Gaza, he said teams are trying to bring as many patients to Türkiye as possible by keeping communication strong.

Koca said Türkiye sent nearly 660 tons of medicine, medical supplies and medical devices, 20 ambulances and eight field hospitals to Gaza in 10 planes and one ship.