More than 20 doctors and nurses left Vientiane on Sunday morning to offer assistance to victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.
“ Laos and Myanmar are Asean members and the assistance is being offered for humanitarian reasons,” Ministry of Public Health Head of Office, Dr Chanthanom Manodham, said yesterday.
“We will offer assistance for as long as possible until Myanmar 's government feels that help is no longer needed.”
The ministry has prepared three medical teams to help cyclone victims. The first team has been deployed. This team consists of surgeons, nurses, anaesthetists and epidemiologists. They will stay in the country for 15 days before the second team takes over.
Medical supplies provided by pharmaceutical factories Nos. 2 and 3 and Codupha pharmaceutical factory in Vientiane were also sent on Sunday.
Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar on May 2 and 3.
According to an updated official death toll, 77,738 people were killed and 55,917 are still missing. There were 19,359 people injured.
Shortly after the cyclone occurred, President Choummaly Sayasone and Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh offered their sympathy to high ranking leaders in Myanmar .
On May 7, Lao Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bounkeuth Sangsomsak flew to Myanmar to present US$20,000 and 2.5 tonnes of food aid to the government of Myanmar.
The Lao government is raising funds to help victims of Cyclone Nargis and also to assist victims of the recent earthquake in China.
nice to see that Laos are lending out helping hands.... it is crazy with all the things are going on around Asia countries... cyclones and earthquake!! within the last 2 weeks alot of deaths..
