RI tells RP to delay medical help

RI tells RP to delay medical help

PHILIPPINES: Indonesia has asked the Philippines to delay the dispatch of a medical team to Aceh as the tsunami-ravaged province is inaccessible, an official said on Tuesday.

"The whole infrastructure was devastated. It's inaccessible and the nearest city to that is 400 kilometers away," health secretary Manuel Dayrit told reporters.

A 12-member team of surgeons, nurses, environmental engineers and other health professionals has been on standby for deployment to Indonesia since last week.

Sri Lanka meanwhile suggested a Filipino medical team was not urgently needed because eight other countries had volunteered similar help, Dayrit said.

"The main problem with disasters is you have to coordinate the help. You have to assess the actual need and assistance or you'll be tripping each other," Dayrit added. -- AFP