ATM health services director-general Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh said the 69-member team comprised 16 officers and 53 members from various specialisations, including the forward anaesthesia and surgical team from the Malaysian Field Hospital, an element from the Royal Engineers Regiment.
He said the team, led by Dr Ahmad Farhan Ahmad Fuad, also brought essential equipment, including a level-two field hospital, medical and communication kits, technical equipment, a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and two 18-tonne capacity trucks.
“The plan is to operate the field hospital for one month, and after that, we will conduct an assessment based on field observations to determine any further needs,” he told reporters during the sending-off ceremony at the Subang Air Base today.
He said the plan was to operate the field hospital in the Sagaing area, but did not rule out the possibility of changing locations based on the situation.
Zulkeffeli said the team took 72 hours to prepare for mission activation as various factors had to be taken into account, including security and the limited water and electricity supply in the area.
“In terms of security, the Myanmar government has ensured that the area where we have been deployed is safe,” he said.
Operation Starlight III was deployed from the Subang Air Base using two Royal Malaysian Air Force Airbus A400M aircraft which departed at 4.45am and 5.15am, respectively.
Ahmad Farhan said the team would provide treatment for the affected victims immediately after arriving in the Sagaing district.
He said the team was expected to face challenges in the affected areas, adding however that this had not dampened the spirits or determination of the personnel involved.
“Despite the anticipated difficulties on the ground, all officers and members of Operation Starlight III remain highly motivated to carry out their duties, in line with the mandate entrusted to them by the prime minister as Asean chairman,” he said.
Defence minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin previously announced that Malaysia would deploy ATM medical officers to support relief efforts in Myanmar. The capacity of the field hospital was to be determined in coordination with other Asean member states with similar facilities in the disaster-stricken areas.
On April 5, Mohamad made a one-day visit to Myanmar to coordinate the humanitarian mission.
Earlier on March 30, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the Malaysian government would provide RM10 million in humanitarian aid as an initial contribution to support Myanmar’s recovery efforts.
According to the latest data from the Myanmar meteorological and hydrological department, the region has experienced 109 aftershocks since the initial 7.7-magnitude earthquake and the subsequent 6.4-magnitude tremor that struck central Myanmar on March 28.
The death toll has climbed to over 3,603, with more than 4,817 people injured and 141 still missing. An estimated nine million people have been severely affected by the disaster, including 2.7 million children, across 58 townships in the East Bago, Kayin, Magway, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Southern Shan, and Sagaing regions.