Myanmar uses watercrafts as mobile hospitals to care for cyclone victims
2/6/2008 16:14
Myanmar is using some watercrafts as mobile hospitals sailing deep into
some cyclone-hit areas where road transport is hardly accessible, local media
reported today.
Three departmental watercrafts -- Wai Thantayar, Thaing Aye
and Tataung Mhwe, backed by two smaller ones, have sailed deep into areas of
such regions as Laputta, Phyapon and Bogalay in southwestern Ayeyawaddy delta
since last week, the Flower said.
The introduction of the mobile hospitals
has reinforced the medical care for the cyclone-hit victims in addition to
township hospitals based locally.
Meanwhile, a total of eight remaining
foreign medics are still working in Myanmar disaster-hit areas since days after
the storm swept Myanmar. They are from India, Laos, Bangladesh, Singapore, the
Philippines, France, Japan and Indonesia serving in such disaster-hit townships
as Laputta, Myaungmya, Bogalay, Phyapon, Kyauktan, Kungyangon and Maubin.
The
Chinese and Thai medical groups completed their weeks-long mission in Myanmar
last weekend with the Chinese's having given treatment to 4,000 storm victims in
Dedaye in Ayeyawaddy delta, Kungyangon and Kawmu in Yangon division, and the
Thai's to 3,768 patients in Myaungmya and Laputta in the delta
region.
Meanwhile, ASEAN has established a task force, led by Secretary-
General Surin Pitsuwan, to coordinate and channel international aid to Myanmar
and is planning to send hundreds more of relief personnel to cyclone-ravaged
country.
Each member country would contribute some dozens of medical and
relief personnel to the task force to help cyclone victims in need of food,
shelter and medicines, according to the decision.
The task force members will
also make assessment and determine the degree of destruction before rendering
necessary relief aid.
Deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the
Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states -- Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon
and Kayin on May 2 and 3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest
casualties and massive infrastructural damage. The storm has killed 77,738
people and left 55,917 missing and 19,359 injured, according to official death
toll.
Xinhua
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