Phuket moves for Japan disaster relief

PHUKET: Bangkok Hospital Phuket has set up a drop-off box to collect donated items for survivors of the earthquake and tsunami disaster that struck Japan on Friday.

Estimates of the earthquake’s magnitude made it the most powerful earthquake to ever hit Japan, and the fourth most powerful earthquake in the world since record-keeping began in 1900.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Japan now faces its worst crisis since WWII.

Three nuclear reactors have at least partially melted down as a result of the disaster, and the number of dead could be in the tens of thousands.

The collection drop-off box is in the hall of the Out-patient Department Building of the hospital, located on Yaowarat Road in Phuket Town.

Donations should be non-perishable items such as:

– Canned and dried foods

– Packaged edibles with air-tight seals

– Warm blankets

– Tissues, sanitary napkins, diapers

– Baby feeding bottles and children’s essentials

– Plastic utensils such as chopsticks, plates, cups and bowls

Collections will be accepted until March 20.

Hotel owners with blankets to donate can call Bangkok Hospital Phuket CSR Manager Pareeya “Jum” Jullaphong to arrange for collection at a convenient time.

For more information, contact Khun Jum directly: (Tel: 076-254425, ext 1284); Mobile: 089-867 8710; Fax: 076-254430; Email: pareeya@bgh.co.th).

— Stephen Fein