Czech volunteers to build field hospital in quake-struck Haiti

Czech voluntary rescue workers from the Liberec-based Hand for Help organisation are to leave for quake-struck Haiti only in a couple of weeks. The head of the organisation, Jaromír Dolansky, said on Friday that they planned to build a small field hospital in the country, which was devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake this week. Tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands are thought to have died in the disaster. The Czech volunteers will fly to the neighbouring Dominican Republic and then travel 300 kilometres to Port-au-Prince. Originally, it was planned the Czechs would take sniffer dogs, but given the time frame, that idea was abandoned. On Thursday, the Czech government made clear it would reach a decision on financial aid to Haiti at its session on Monday.

Author: Jan Velinger