“Benevolent Korea” Goes to Sri Lanka

“Send warm hearts to tsunami-affected South Asia citizens.”

Dong-a Ilbo and Korea University are conducting medical volunteer work for tsunami-affected South Asian countries from January 7.

The first volunteer work will be carried out for a week until January 13 and depending on the result, a second volunteer group will be sent. The volunteer group’s activities will be described in the Dong-a Ilbo.

Medical service work will occur in the Colombo region of Sri Lanka, where thousands died and one million lost their homes due to the disaster.

This region has not received enough medical care, causing an increasing number of patients and water epidemics.

The medical volunteer group consists of 15 volunteers including five medical school professors and four nurses. It is the largest out of all single organization volunteer groups sent. There are many prominent professors including the chief of group Kim Woo-ju, Kim Jin-yong, Song Dae-jin, Yoon Do-kyung, and Park Hong-suk.

The group will concentrate mostly on preventing epidemics. It is known that, despite the authority’s denial, cholera is spreading in Sri Lanka. According to the local source, as corpses have not been handled properly after the crisis, drinking water was contaminated and various water epidemics are spreading.

It is natural that this volunteering group has set its top epidemics doctor, Professor Kim Woo-ju, as the chief.

The group will vaccinate against epidemics such as malaria and will also educate the local people. Volunteers have already prepared 100 types of medicine such as antibiotics, fever alleviating pills, emergency medicines, and disinfectants.

The launching ceremony will take place in Korea University’s Anam Hospital on January 7.

Chief Kim said, “The region we are going to, despite its large destruction, has not yet received medical care due to its isolation from the outside world. We will do our best to deliver the Korean love to them.”

Sang Hoon Kim corekim@donga.com