Finnish Red Cross sent on Friday a mobile clinic and its staff to the earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

Immediately after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake which struck in Haiti on Tuesday, Finnish Red Cross pledged 200,000 euros (about US$287,480) from its Disaster Relief Fund to help the relief efforts. The Finnish government provided on Thursday 750,000 euros to Finnish Red Cross for sending the mobile clinic to Haiti.

A Russian cargo plane left Tampere Airport in Southern Finland Friday night carrying the Finnish Red Cross's mobile clinic and three off-road vehicles. The organization hopes to have the clinic in Haiti provide care to victims sometime Saturday.

A total of 12 aid workers have also been sent to Haiti to get the mobile clinic up and running, and will then work in it. Eight of the aid workers are from Finland, two from Sweden and two from France.

Finland has also sent two IT experts to Haiti, who are working to secure local satellite connections for communications with other countries and within Haiti.

The quake disaster in Haiti has awakened the compassion of Finns. They have given generously to aid organizations involved in the relief effort. The Finnish Red Cross alone collected more than 206, 000 euros in two days.

Tuesday's earthquake has claimed tens of thousands of lives in Haiti. (US$1 = 0.6957 euros)

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2009)