Australian Prime Minister John Howard visited Bali, Indonesia, Friday to inaugurate an eye hospital dedicated to the victims of the October 2002 bombings on the resort island, and to hold talks with the Indonesian leader.
Howard said the hospital in the Bali capital of Denpasar would facilitate free eye surgeries for the poor.
He said the Australia Bali Memorial Hospital symbolizes friendship between Australia and Indonesia which holds stronger after the bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australian citizens.
The facility was a living, practical memorial to the victims, he said.
On the same occasion, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono thanked the Australian government for the donation that is very meaningful for the Bali people.
"About 50,000 people in Bali are suffering from cataract blindness, but most of them are too poor to get treatment. This hospital has two mobile clinics that will come to them," Susilo was quoted by leading news website Detikcom as saying.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article