VANCOUVER - A Canadian medical aid group is heading back to Japan to help after abandoning their first attempt last week due to concerns about radiation from damaged nuclear reactors.
The Canadian Medical Assistance Team plans to set up a makeshift hospital to ease overcrowding and provide health supplies and a water purification system in the area affected by a 9.0- magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
Martin Matz, a team member from Courtenay, B.C., says the team will be better prepared for radiation this time as each member now has some training in nuclear, bio-hazard and explosive situations.
He says they'll be monitoring the situation closely and if the radiation levels go too high they'll pull out or go to a safer area.
The team spent several days in Tokyo last week but wasn't able to get out of the city into the hardest-hit areas of northeast Japan because of the danger from three crippled nuclear power plants.
The team returned to Vancouver last Wednesday to regroup.
