An Israeli medical aid team consisting of 50 doctors left for Japan on Saturday night, accompanied by representatives of the IDF Home Front Command and the Foreign Ministry. The delegation's two planes also carried 62 tons of medical supplies and 18 tons of humanitarian supplies, which included 10,000 coats, 6,000 blankets, 8,000 gloves and 150 portable toilets.
One of the planes, a Boeing 747, carried the aid supplies that included medical instruments, fuel, oxygen, medication, food, water, hospital beds and other equipment necessary for the establishment of a clinic, while the other plane carried the members of the delegation.
The team was expected to reach Japan on Sunday afternoon, and set up a clinic in the city of Kurihara, which is located in the Miyagi Prefecture, one of the areas that was damaged the most by this month's tsunami. The facility will treat refugees in the region.
A send-off ceremony was held for the delegation at the Nevatim Israeli Air Force Base, which was attended by Japanese Ambassador Haruhisa Takeuchi, members of the Japanese media and Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General for Europe Rafi Barak.
Hagai Shagrir, director of the Foreign Ministry's Northeast Asia Division, told Ynet before boarding the Japan-bound plane: "We are indeed worried about the radiation, and the first condition that we posed was that the activity cannot endanger the health of any Israeli on the delegation. We intend to monitor the air and the water, and get real-time updates. If the situation worsens, we will decide immediately. No one will be put at risk."
Members of the Israeli Aid mission to Japan held a status evaluation on Monday in the Miyagi Prefecture, which was hit hard by a devastating earthquake and tsunami more than two weeks ago.
The delegation, headed by Brigadier-General Shalom Ben Aryeh, discussed the current situation with Home Front Command Chief Yair Golan and Chief Medical Officer Nachman Ash.
It has begun setting up an Israeli clinic which includes orthopedics, surgical, and intensive care units as well as a delivery room and a pharmacy. It is scheduled to commence operations later on Monday.
Local medical officials visited the site on Monday.
The IDF clinic is slated to provide medical assistance to locals for a number of weeks. The 60-member delegation mainly consists of doctors and nurses from the Medical Corps.
The delegation includes 50 doctors and brought with it 62 tons of medical equipment and 18 tons of humanitarian aid, including some 10,000 coats, 6,000 blankets, 8,000 gloves and 150 portable toilets.
Seven Hebrew-speaking Japanese interpreters are helping the Israelis communicate with locals.
Home Front Command chief Golan said Saturday that the mission's primary goal is to provide humanitarian aid and ease the Japanese people's suffering.
He added that the IDF will withdraw the delegation in case there is fear the members' wellbeing is compromised.
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