10 Years On- Remembering Operation Flying Eagle A day after Christmas on 26 Dec 2004, the Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake struck the regions of the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, the earthquake resulted in several Tsunamis, affecting Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Maldives and Somalia. The SAF responded on the morning of 27 Dec and launched Operation Flying Eagle (OFE) to provide humanitarian support in the disaster struck region. The SAF Medical Corps had a strong presence in Indonesia. The SAF Medical Corps provided primary medical services in Indonesia, partnering with the local hospitals and helping out in the Accident & Emergency department. The SAF Medical Corps also helped with surgical capabilities and running surgical theatres, and had mobilised a mobile operating theatre at the disaster site. The medical relief operation was conducted over a period of 27 days. LTC (Dr) Vernon Lee, then CPT (Dr) Vernon Lee, was one of the 114 medical personnel deployed to Indonesia to assist with the humanitarian efforts in Indonesia. The magnitude of the devastation wrecked by the Tsunami shocked the medical team and him. The rubble, stagnant water and corpses made the area a hotbed for infectious diseases. LTC (Dr) Vernon Lee noted, “We saw many unique diseases in Indonesia as many of the disaster victims had numerous cuts from the debris. Tetanus was a big problem, so we brought in tetanus immunoglobulin and worked with UN agencies to support their vaccination programs. We were also worried about malaria so we carried out fogging and sprayed insecticides. We also visited the villages, spoke to the village leaders and advised them on sanitation and hygiene.”
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 09:34:39 +0000