India offers medical aid to US

India1 has offered whatever medical and health aid it can provide to the United States in the wake of the World Trade Centre tragedy that killed and injured thousands of people on September 11 in New York.The Indian government has identified a team of 100 well qualified doctors from different specialities that will be sent to America. The Union Minister for Health Dr. C.P. Thakur stated that they have also kept 1000 litres of blood ready to be supplied on demand by the American government. The team of doctors would consist mainly of orthopaedic and general surgeons and anaesthetists, in addition to neuro-surgeons and those trained in emergency or trauma medicine.A demand for blood had been made by the Red Cross Society since most victims who had been rescued had lost large amounts of blood from their bodies. However, apart from clinical specialists, many survivors would also require the services of psychologists and counsellors to deal with the trauma that they have experienced.Demonstrations were held in various parts of the country to express solidarity with the victims and their families. In Kolkata, sex workers from Asia's biggest red light area held a demonstration in front of the American centre protesting against the terrorist attacks. The scale of the tragedy has been such that it may take a long time for the physical and emotional scars of the survivors to heal.