The main group of delegation members for the Physicians With Heart airlift arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, at 4:30 a.m. today after crossing through 11 time zones in just over 24 hours of traveling time. This group of delegation members was met by a small advance contingent of the delegation that had been in Kyrgyzstan for the past two weeks making preparations for the humanitarian project.
A Boeing 747 carrying more than $8 million of donated pharmaceuticals and medical supplies will arrive here about 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. The shipment will be quickly loaded onto a fleet of waiting trucks, and over the next several days it will be distributed to a number of hospitals and clinics throughout this central Asian nation.
In addition to the medical shipment, the Physicians With Heart project features family medical symposia, Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) courses, and a children's project that provides support to orphanages.
Friday, October 10, 2003
Delegation members gather at London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday, as they prepare for the next leg of the trip to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. From left to right are Daniel Van Durme, M.D.; Mary Lynass, M.D.; Ruth Ann Evans; Anne Bagley, and Kenneth Evans, M.D.
The mountains overlooking Bishkek are impressive a few minutes after sunrise.
The airlift delegation met at the Pinara Hotel in Bishkek to make final plans for the arrival and distribution of the medical supplies.
