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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has deployed a medical team to Myanmar on Thursday, following the country's agreement to allow ASEAN-member countries to send in medical teams to assist with relief efforts.
Fast Facts
The Singapore team – deployed for two weeks – comprises doctors and nurses from various hospitals and institutions under the SingHealth and National Healthcare Group clusters.
A total of four doctors and eight nurses will provide medical support for the cyclone victims in Myanmar, and they are bringing with them medical supplies to treat water-borne diseases.
Dr Juliana Thay, medical officer, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, said: "(They're) very primary diseases like infectious diseases, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, cholera and snake bites because they have been hit by a cyclone and there are a lot of water-borne diseases."
An ASEAN task force assessing the situation in Myanmar has expressed fears of a potential second wave of deaths due to diseases and lack of proper nutrition.
A Health Ministry official said there is already a doctor on site in Myanmar as part of the ASEAN assessment team and his ground report has been helpful in understanding the environment that the Singapore team would have to operate in when they are in Yangon.
Wong Yoong Cheong, director, Operation Readiness Control Division at MOH, said: "We are likely to operate in one of the local hospitals – a very small hospital with 50 beds. We are also told that the conditions there could be quite bad and the guys are ready to stay on and provide whatever we can.
"Besides medical supplies, we are also bringing in some of the essentials. We are prepared for the worst if the medical team has to live off the land. We have tents, the safari bed and we've also given them contingency water and rations for up to two days before the resupply goes in."
MOH may send in more supplies and personnel, based on the needs on the ground.
The medical team departed at noon on Thursday for Myanmar on a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) C-130 transport aircraft at Paya Lebar Air Base.
- CNA/ls/so
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