Kathmandu, Nepal | Asia Samachar | 4 May 2015
Harmandar Singh is leading the media team to cover the operations of Mercy Malaysia’s humanitarian aid and response operations in Nepal following the devastating earthquake last week.
Ham, as the marketing communications expert is popularly known, is an executive committee member of the Malaysian-based international non-profit organisation.
“This is one of the things I do on the side,” Ham told Asia Samachar when contacted before departure, referring to his involvement at the outfit.
Ham is the founder and owner of marketing communications publisher and event coordinator firm Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd, which publishes the Marketing magazine.
The team, known as the Mercy Malaysia Media – 3M, landed in Kathmandu on May 1.
Mercy Malaysia is set to remain in Nepal for a year to help in relief and recovery efforts after the devastating earthquake. President of the volunteer relief organisation, Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus, said they were still in the “acute emergency phase”, reports The Star (2 May, 2015).
Mercy Malaysia has deployed a 20-member team to run a field hospital in Kathmandu. It started operating on April 29.
“Efforts will be made to keep our field hospital operational. An initial assessment showed that the year-long mission will cost RM10mil,” he told the newspaper.
MERCY Malaysia has set-up a field hospital at Shree Bhagwati Higher Secondary School Compound in Ipatole, Sankhu, Kathmandu District. Its Facebook page (Search for handle: Mercy Malaysia) has an aerial view of the area taken from a drone showing the extent of the devastation following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 25.
“Many have fled their homes and are out sleeping in the parks in tents. Daily there are after shocks still. The latest one a 4.2 mag close to where we are earlier this evening,” according to a May 3 Facebook entry by Brij Dogra from the Mercy Malaysia media team.
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