 Under The Patronage of
His Royal Highness Sultan Azlan Shah
The Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan
KUALA LUMPUR, Saturday, 25 April 2009: MERCY Malaysia today announced that it has kick-started a medical project in Sri Lanka to assist people who have been internally displaced due to ongoing conflict.
MERCY Malaysia also announced the launch of its Sri Lanka Relief Fund to pay for relief projects in Manic Farm, Cheddikulam district.
“We will be turning four 40-foot containers into health centres. These health centres will be equipped with outpatient and in-patient facilities to ensure IDPs are able to access adequate primary healthcare,” Acting President Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus said today.
Speaking to the media at MERCY Malaysia’s headquarters in Kompleks Dayabumi today, Dr Faizal said the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health had requested MERCY Malaysia to equip four health posts – each inside a 40-foot container supplied to the Ministry by the German Red Cross via the Sri Lanka Red Cross.
The containers are being readied for Zones 1 and 3 of the Manic Farm. Three containers will be sent to three of the four sub-divisions of Zones 3 and the fourth to Zone 1.
Each sub-division houses 10,000 IDPs, thus when these containers-turned-health centres are handed over Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health on May 2, it will serve a population of 40,000 IDPs.
Dr Faizal said that MERCY Malaysia was moved by the plight of the Sri Lankans as a result of the conflict and hardship they endured when they had to leave their homes and make way to government-designated camps.
He also encouraged Malaysians to donate generously to the Sri Lanka Relief Fund.
“We have heard of the plight of the Sri Lankans for many years now. MERCY Malaysia is in a position to offer the assistance that the IDPs need, but we will need the support of the Malaysian public if we are to do it in a sustainable manner,” he said.
Dr Faizal added that MERCY Malaysia had been fortunate to enjoy the trust and confidence of the donating public.
“This is testament in our work in many parts of the globe, including Sudan, Afghanistan, Malaysia and Cambodia, and we hope that this will be translated into support for Sri Lanka,” he said.
About MERCY Malaysia
MERCY Malaysia is a medical organisation that provides humanitarian aid in crisis and non-crisis situations irrespective of race, religion, culture and political boundaries. MERCY Malaysia is one of the leading agencies advocating the education and implementation of ‘Total Disaster Risk Management’ in Asia. MERCY Malaysia is active internationally.
For further information, contact:
Ms. Shamini Darshni
Head of Communications and Fundraising
019-314 0735
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Ms. Hana Kamaruddin
Senior Officer
Public Relations & Publications
019-314 0420
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