SL to send a medical relief team to help Chinese earth quake victims

 


Sri Lanka will dispatch a medical team consisting of nurses and doctors to provide care for those thousands of victims injured by China's 8.0 magnitude earth quake, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said.

Expressing the profound grief of the country's President Mahinda Rajapaksa's and his on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka Bogollagama said at the Colombo's Chinese Embassy that they were prepared to send a team immediately to care for those who have been devastated by the major earthquake that had struck the People's Republic of China last week. The massive quake epi-centered in Wenchuan County in Sichuan Province affected the whole country in general. By Monday the death toll rose to more than 34,000, according to official figures.

The Foreign Minister was at the Chinese Embassy to sign a book of condolence that was kept open.

Recalling the most generous and outpouring Chinese aid to Sri Lanka when Tsunami struck the island nation the Minister said this is the time for Sri Lanka to show their gratitude in return.

The Minister showed his willingness to send a medical team to help the Chinese victims at a subsequent meeting after signing the condolence message. He told Chinese ambassador Ye Dabo that the Sri Lanka government would do everything in its capacity in this hour of grief. He said that the Sri Lanka government was satisfied by the relief and rehabilitation work already started by the Chinese government and under the leadership of President Hu Jintao the Chinese people would definitely overcome the great disaster.

The Foreign Minister immediately started contacting some of his cabinet colleagues, Ministries and their officials, private sector well wishers and other interested parties to supply food, shelter and medical assistance. The Chinese ambassador Ye Dabo said that he appreciated the Sri Lanka government's immediate response to extend humanitarian help reflecting the thousands of years of friendship between the two nations.