The medical team, led by C.V. Chen, president of Taiwan’s Red Cross Society, is the second relief team from Taipei City to head to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, since a magnitude-8 earthquake struck the region last Monday, killing at least 33,000 and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

The team, consisting of 25 medical professionals and 10 volunteers, departed from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on a chartered Mandarin Airlines aircraft at 10 a.m. and was expected to land at Chengdu’s international airport at about 1:30 p.m.

The team is taking along nearly 25 tons of supplies, including medicines and medical instruments and equipment on its mission.

The Mandarin Airlines plane is scheduled to stay at Chengdu’s airport for two hours to pick up 43 Taiwan nationals, including members of the Red Cross’s first quake-relief team led by former Taipei Deputy Mayor Ou-Chin-der, and 14 members of a tour group stranded in the province since the quake.

Chiu Wen-hsiang, head of Taipei’s Department of Health, said that the mission of the team sent Tuesday is different in nature from that of the first team that headed to Chengdu May 16 to assist in search and rescue efforts.

The second team will focus on offering medical treatment to survivors of the quake, he said.

Meanwhile, Chen said that he will engage in consultations with the Red Cross chapter in Sichuan to coordinate short-, mid- and long-term relief plans, including setting up temporary shelters and assisting in reconstruction, with the aim of utilizing the resources offered by Taiwan as efficiently as possible.

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