KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Mercy Malaysia is on standby to send medical and relief staff to Pakistan to provide assistance for the earthquake-hit communities, local media reported on Monday.

    Members of the Emergency Medical Relief and Rapid Assessment and Logistics teams will depart on Monday or Tuesday, vice-president of Mercy Malaysia Mohamed Ikram Mohamed Saleh said, adding the members are currently making preparations for the medical supplies and other necessary mission items.

    The organization is calling the public to provide more aid in the form of cash and cheque for further deployment of relief teams to Pakistan, Saleh said.

    "Sending donation to this region is not cost-effective due to many logistical constraints and problems ... The best way for the public is to donate in cash so that we can efficiently convert it into medicine and necessary items," he said in a statement.

    Conceived in the year 1999, Mercy Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Medical Relief Society, is a non-governmental, non-profit medical relief organization dedicated to providing humanitarian services in crisis and non-crisis situations. Enditem