A 54-strong medical team from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was dispatched this afternoon in four Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) C-130 aircraft to Indonesia, according to a press statement.

The team will provide medical aid to victims of the earthquake which hit West Sumatra on September 30.
Upon arrival, the SAF Medical Team immediately proceeded to Pariaman to set up their medical facility. Pariaman, a coastal town 50km north of Padang, is identified to be closest to the epicentre.

The SAF team comprising orthopaedic and general surgeons, anaesthetists, medics and nurses, will provide primary healthcare as well as perform surgery.

The team also includes three doctors and four nurses from Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH). The SAF Medical Team will be working closely with the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) and authorities, as well as international and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to administer medical assistance to those affected by the earthquake.

A day earlier, a 42-member Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) team arrived in Padang, Indonesia, to help in the rescue operations there.

While an RSAF C-130 transported US$50,000 worth of tentages, blankets, and medical supplies for the earthquake victims.