A Courtesy Call on Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Kikuta by a Thai Medical Relief Team

May 20, 2011
Japanese

On Friday, May 20, Ms. Makiko Kikuta, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call from Dr. Naris Waranawat, a pediatrician, and Ms. Rungtiwa Aswinanonh, a nurse, from the Thai medical relief team dispatched by the Kingdom of Thailand to assist Japan following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Parliamentary Vice-Minister Kikuta extended her heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Naris and Ms. Runtigwa for devoting themselves to provide medical care for many people including children in the disaster-stricken regions. She expressed her belief that it must have been a great encouragement for the people in the regions to know that warm assistance was being extended from Thailand and other countries.
In response, Dr. Naris said that he was proud to have been able to offer medical assistance in Japan, and was very happy that the service he provided had been of at least some small help to the people of the disaster-stricken regions. He further stated his wish that the assistance would lead to the further development of Japan-Thai cooperation in the field of medicine.
Lastly, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Kikuta thanked Thailand again for its assistance to Japan, highlighting the funding and relief goods donated by the Government and the people of Thailand, including His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the royal family, stating that the strong bilateral ties of the two countries had been reconfirmed after the earthquake.

(Reference)
This first group of the aforementioned Thai medical relief team, consisting of one pediatrician and one nurse, was dispatched from Thailand to assist Japan following the Great East Japan Earthquake, and toured the evacuation shelters of Fukushima Prefecture from Monday, May 9, to Thursday, May 19, in coordination with physicians from Fukushima Medical University, providing medical care to 76 people, including children and the elderly. Similarly, a second group consisting of one physician and one nurse entered Fukushima Prefecture on Thursday, May 19, and is scheduled to work until Friday, June 3.

(*This is a provisional translation. The above date denotes the date of the issue of the original press release in Japanese.)

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