NEW YORK, December 29 2004
IANS
A delegation of Indian American physicians, community leaders, entrepreneurs
and relief workers is leaving for India next week to extend support
and assistance to tsunami victims.
The delegation, led by physician-president of Federation of Indian
Associations (FIA) Sudhir Parikh, will call on Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh in New Delhi to
assure them of humanitarian support.
Besides assuring monetary aid, the group hopes to work with health
department officials in India and on ways to tackle health issues related
to the disaster, particularly on steps to curb the outbreak of contagious
diseases.
"We are taking this delegation to extend our support and to visit
some tsunami-stricken areas. By visiting quickly, we seek to find the
real non-government organisations to work there," Parikh said.
FIA has begun its relief measures and the first container of supplies
is now en route to Chennai, thanks to the Share and Care Foundation
where Parikh is a major donor, FIA said.
The organisation plans to work with the American Association of Physicians
of Indian Origin (AAPI), the apex Indian medical body in the US, to
drive support for public health initiatives in the cities affected by
tsunami in southern India.
"About 60 physicians will tour India in the first week of January
to assess the situation and arrange support strategies," Parikh
said.