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Thalassemia International Federation World Congress, Abu Dhabi, 20-23 Oct 2013
manuelam:
Dear Andy,
Thank you very much for your comment. I want to clarify that I do not work for TIF and therefore I can not reply to some of your concerns directly. I work for the local conference organiser company appointed to manage the congress in Abu Dhabi. We are aware that attending the conference can be financially challenging to many and we have therefore looked for ways to keep the cost down wherever possible.
The accommodation choice for example starts at USD 75 per room, per night. By sharing a room, accommodation could cost from USD 37.5 per person a night. We have arranged for complimentary shuttle service from the hotels to the congress venue so that transportation wont be an extra burden to the participants. The registration for the patients and parents is USD 150 which covers a full lunch and two coffee breaks for the three days.
There are many airlines flying directly into Abu Dhabi as well as Dubai. Low cost carriers such as AirArabia and FlyDubai connect the UAE to many nearby destinations. Being so well connected and thanks to the geographical location of the UAE which is within 8hours flight range between most of the european cities and the far east, booking a flight to the UAE can be quite reasonable when compared to other destinations.
We have also managed to arrange for a simple process to arrange entry permit for patients and parents requiring one at a very minimal fee.
I understand that all these costs would still prove to be very expensive to many. I personally think the selection of Abu Dhabi as the host city is not necessarily making them more expensive than what they would be in other destinations but I appreciate if you have a different view.
Im sorry that you wont make it to Abu Dhabi. From the replies I had seen when I first posted on this portal I thought you would be coming. I regret i have not logged in more frequently as I could have addressed some of your concerns earlier.
I wish you all the best Andy and my personal appreciation to the great efforts you place to help thalassemics patients all over the world.
Best Wishes
Manuela
Andy Battaglia:
I am happy to hear that some more inexpensive hotel choices have been added, but the cost of flights from the US is still more than I can currently afford.
I don't even get sufficient financial help to keep this website going, let alone to travel to conferences. Some day thalpal will vanish due to lack of financial support.
Himanshu Kumar:
Hi Andy,
It is heart rending to hear that Thalpal doesn't have enough financial support. I (and I can speak for many other's like me) never thought of how this website is being run or where the funds are flowing from for managing the website. You have done excellent work and your profound knowledge about Thalassemia management has benefited thousands of Thals around the world. Your contribution in this field has been enormous and invaluable.
I would like to make a humble contribution of 100$ from my side to support this website. While this is my first contribution for this noble cause and might even appear meager, this definitely is not the last one. Let me know how and where can I transfer the funds?
Cheers,
Himanshu
Pratik:
Himanshu, that'll be very kind of you. And by no means it's a small amount. I try my best to contribute too. I think with some what more campaigning we can have a positive impact on lives of many thals around the world.
-P.
Andy Battaglia:
Thank you for your offer, Himanshu. Possible ways to donate are Paypal and Western Union. If you choose Western Union, contact me first so you can give correct name information. I also have an account on Xoom, which is also an easy way to transfer money.
I am rebuilding our fund. Because of the late date, I cannot consider using funds to go to the TIF conference, so that means that I will have a fund for purchasing and mailing supplements. I have had to discontinue this in recent years, but wish to begin again, as so many patients have little access to needed supplements.
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