Taiwan's Red Cross sends members to quake-hit province

TAIPEI - Taiwan's Red Cross organization announced on Monday it has sent a team of three to Sichuan province to assess the medical needs of the quake-hit areas.

Chang Huan-cheng, president of Taiwan-based Landseed Hospital and one of the three, said post-quake relief is usually divided into three stages - the first 48 hours, rescue efforts in days three to seven and post-quake reconstruction after the first week.

Chang said medical needs differ at each stage and their task is to assess when to bring in a medical team and determine the assistance that is required.

The three-member team is carrying 12,000 sets of disinfection tablets and 100 flashlights donated by the island's private sector.

The organization was planning a donation of 5 million yuan ($809,000) to the areas rocked by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Lushan County of Sichuan's Ya'an city on Saturday.

Taiwan's businesses have also pledged donations to help quake relief efforts.

Foxccon Technology Group announced it would donate 50 million yuan. Want Want China Holdings Ltd. Chairman Tsai Eng-meng personally donated 5 million Hong Kong dollars ($643,993) after his group donated 3 million yuan in cash and 2 million yuan worth of relief materials.

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