Red Cross to send team of medics to Sri Lanka

The Malta Red Cross Society is preparing to send a group of doctors, nurses and paramedics to Sri Lanka.

Malta Red Cross president Lino Cutajar said yesterday more than 40 people had approached the society volunteering to go to South East Asia. However, sending people to work in the tsunami-stricken countries was not that easy, he added.

"We have to make sure the volunteers are properly trained, especially since we only have a rough idea of the situation there and the details of what needs to be done are not known. They can expect anything," Prof. Cutajar said.

He explained that due to the increasing health risks in the region, for example, the volunteers will still have to be vaccinated before leaving, a process that usually took around three weeks at least.

Prof. Cutajar said the Malta Red Cross was working hand in hand with the Foreign Office, the Civil Protection Department and other organisations such as SOS Malta to ensure that the help given would be as effective as possible.

It was not certain when the Red Cross volunteers would leave and how many people the Maltese team would consist of, he told a press conference.

"The Red Cross is in close contact with the Foreign Office to monitor developments," he said.

When contacted yesterday evening, Paul Portelli, director general of the Malta Red Cross, was still not in a position to say who would form part of the team of Maltese medics and when it would leave the island.

However, the volunteers would not leave before next week as the Malta Red Cross wanted to wait for on-site reports by the SOS Malta team before deciding whether to send more people. An Air Malta flight will leave Malta for Sri Lanka this week carrying medicine and a four-strong medical team. The idea is to open a fully equipped clinic on site.

By Monday at 10 a.m., the Malta Red Cross Society had collected Lm70,000 which will be channelled to the International Red Cross working in South East Asia.

The International Red Cross has estimated that the places hit by the tsunami will take at least a year to have all the basic needs.

The Malta Red Cross appealed for more donations. The public can still deposit donations at bank branches - in the Bank of Valletta account 40010344392, at HSBC Bank Malta in 033143371051 or in the APS donations account 2000024684-6.

People can also contribute Lm1 by sending an SMS to 5061 7354, Lm3 on 5061 8916 and Lm5 on 5061 9213.

On Monday, SOS Malta said there was still a big need for medical supplies, appealing for antibiotics, Paracetamol tablets and syrup, Amoxycillin tablets and syrup, Bactrim tablets and syrup, skin ointment, gauze rolls, Savlon, cotton wool rolls, Phenegan tablets and syrup, normal saline, surgical gloves and spirit, bandages, syringes, adhesive plaster, paraffin gauze, Betadine, two folding couches, a small steriliser, kidney dishes and small instruments.

The Civil Protection Department collected about Lm3 million worth of goods over the weekend. These are being loaded by volunteers onto containers that will be shipped to Sri Lanka.

The General Workers' Union said that as a sign of solidarity, port workers will load the 40 containers carrying humanitarian aid free of charge.

The union has also urged workers to contribute an hour's worth of pay to the victims of the tragedy.

The money would go into a special fund set up by the GWU.

In commemoration of the victims of the catastrophe in South East Asia and in solidarity with the population of the affected countries, the government is today joining the other EU member states in observing a national three-minute silence at noon. In addition, flags are to be flown at half-mast on all public buildings today.

SOS Malta has set up an Asia Emergency Fund where one may send a donation via a blank SMS on the following numbers: Lm1: 5061 7364; Lm2: 5061 8074.

One may also send cheques to SOS Malta at Dar L-Emigrant, Castille Place, Valletta or at the following banks: HSBC Bank Malta plc: a/c no. 006070932050; APS Bank Ltd: a/c no. 20000245111; Bank of Valletta plc: a/c no. 40013974950.

Caritas Malta has also set up an Emergency Aid Fund. Donations can be placed at head office, at 5, Lion's Street, Floriana, and cheques can be sent to the same address payable to Caritas Malta Asia Fund.

The following bank accounts are also available: HSBC Bank Malta: 089 021513052; Bank of Valletta: 4001397119-9; APS Bank: 200002-4614-0.

Donations, marked Caritas Malta Asia Fund, can also be sent via parish priests.

Caritas will forward the funds directly to Caritas Internationalis. The latter will identify the most urgent priorities from the requests being made to it by the countries that were hit by the disaster and distribute funds directly to the local Caritas which can best deliver to the spots that most require emergency assistance.