SAF to send 13-man medical team to Afghanistan
Posted: 26 November 2009 0750 hrs

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SINGAPORE: On the heels of other successful deployments to Afghanistan, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will next month send a 13-man medical team to a field hospital in Tarin Kowt, Oruzgan, for a stint until March 2010.

The team will provide emergency medical support, primary healthcare and pre- and post-operative medical care to the International Security Assistance Force, the Afghan National Security Forces and the Afghan locals.

Announcing this on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean presented the Overseas Service Medal (OSM) to 64 SAF personnel.

One 54-man medical team performed over 100 surgeries in their two-week stint helping victims of October's earthquake in Pariaman, West Sumatra.

Six others oversaw the construction of a paediatric and women's ward at the Bamiyan Provincial Hospital, Afghanistan. Other recipients were two SAF personnel who served in the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste, while a pair facilitated logistics support for deployments in Afghanistan.

Moreover, 45 Singapore Civil Defence Force officers received Overseas Service medals on Wednesday night.

Forty-two were part of Operation Lionheart, involved in the search and rescue efforts after the Padang earthquake. Three others were part of the UN Disaster Relief Efforts following Tropical Storm Ketsana and Parma in the Philippines.

- TODAY/sc