Singapore's Chinook that has been deployed to Indonesia - MINDEF PHOTO

Each Chinook can do the work of four medium-lift helicopters; they are crucial in getting relief supplies to areas where local roads have been destroyed.

Six Chinooks from Singapore have already been deployed in Indonesia and Singapore is preparing to send even more aid to the devastated region.

According to the United Nations, it is these heavy-lift helicopters that are needed urgently; each of them can take up to 20,000 pounds of supplies.

More than 40 men will be manning these helicopters and joining Singapore's relief efforts in Indonesia, where nearly 600 personnel are already stationed.

Mr Teo said, "In Indonesia, the needs are particularly urgent. We are going to beef up our medical facilities. The medical team that is currently in Banda Aceh will be beefed up with surgeons, many of whom will be volunteers from our civilian hospitals. And we'll beef that up into a hospital facility in Banda Aceh over the week."

Singapore will help make sure more aid reaches the tsunami survivors by repairing infrastructure and providing autonomous offshore facilities.

It also plans to deploy a helicopter landing ship in the next two days.

Mr Teo will be visiting the worst-hit areas before going to Jakarta for the special summit on tsunami relief.

"I intend to touch base personally with our Indonesian counterparts there and to make sure that what we are providing to them is helpful to them, and see how best we can fit in with their overall aid efforts," Mr Teo said.

"I also want to see what other areas of need may be and how we can be most helpful to our friends in Indonesia. What we are doing is working hand in hand together to see how best we can leverage on each other's capabilities to bring relief as quickly as possible."

Singapore intends to help bring medical teams from other countries into West Sumatra.

It is inviting the United Nations to use its facilities to coordinate the relief efforts.

Countries, like the US and Norway, are already using Singapore bases to reach the disaster areas.

The SAF's Helicopter Landing Ship, RSS Endurance, has established a landing site at Meulaboh, on the western coast of Sumatra.

The city had been cut off since the earthquake a week ago and could only be supplied by helicopters.

This means that heavy engineering equipment and vehicles can now be brought from the RSN's landing ship into Meulaboh.