RSS PERSISTENCE ARRIVES AT MEULABOH

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Humanitarian Assistance Task Force (HATF) was further strengthened with the arrival of RSS Persistence on 6 Jan.

It is the second Landing Ship Tank from Singapore to anchor in waters off the town of Meulaboh in West Sumatra.

RSS Endurance had arrived four days earlier, and have since deployed SAF medical personnel, construction engineers, as well as heavy equipment and vehicles, to help clear debris and establish air and sea landing spots ashore.

Also onboard were close to 350 crates of relief supplies.

RSS Persistence will join hands with RSS Endurance in carrying out relief work in the Indonesian coastal town.

Meulaboh has been cut off and isolated from surrounding areas, following the killer tsunami waves on 26 Dec. It has been reported by the Indonesian Health Ministry that over 10,000 locals had perished on that fateful day.

To meet immediate needs, supplies onboard RSS Persistence include 36 pallets of rice from the Singapore Red Cross, water and 1,000 body bags.

In addition, more heavy vehicles have also been brought in, with the SAF looking to project four Broncos (all-terrain tracked carriers) ashore when required. The Broncos can help deliver supplies to the more inaccessible areas since it can "swim" over shallow waters and go where other wheeled-vehicles are not able to reach.

Other new developments on 6 Jan include the SAF HATF surgical team carrying out its first operation and the arrival of US Navy vessels.

While helping out at the A&E Department of a local civil hospital for the past three days, the surgical team has also been unpacking pallets that contain their medical equipment and stores, so as to be able to set up a fully functional operating theatre.

The Indonesian medical staff have been whittled down to fewer than 10 people after the tsunami swept through town, with many of them killed, missing or simply not in the condition to work, said Lieutenant-Colonel (Dr) (ROV) Low Cheng Ooi from the SAF surgical team.

He added that the past few days had been "fruitful", as they had brought in critical stores and established working relationships with the Japanese Red Cross at the hospital and the Indonesian doctors who were overall in charge and responsible for night-ward coverage.

The SAF HATF surgical team includes four general and orthopaedic surgeons, two anesthetists and nurses. Most of the cases they have seen so far are fractures or those suffering from tetanus and gangrene.

Two operations were carried out by the SAF surgical team in the afternoon, both on severely infected wounds.

One of the patients, a 12-year-old boy, had a "chunk of flesh sliced off by debris during the tsunami".

Major (MAJ) (Dr) Kevin Teh, one of the surgeons operating on him, said that they had to remove the dead and dying tissue after clearing out the dirt and pus.

After the procedure that took about half-an-hour, MAJ (Dr) Teh met the boy's family and relatives who had all gathered in the hospital, anxious about the outcome of the surgery.

"The best thing really was seeing the relatives, the mother, who was so thankful. That really reminds you of why you become a doctor in the first place." said MAJ (Dr) Teh.

He added: "Morale is very high, even among non-medical SAF personnel who are carrying out general duties, like carrying the stretchers. They see the purpose in helping out."

As for the US naval ships - cruiser USS Shiloh and USS Duluth - they arrived in waters off Meulaboh in the afternoon.

The captain of the USS Duluth, together with other senior officers, paid a visit to Colonel Tan Chuan-Jin, the commander of SAF HASG, to find out more about the situation ashore and how to coordinate humanitarian efforts.

Engineering efforts continue on land as the Chinook landing site near the beach is being prepared (left).

Providing medical care:

Clearing up operation: