Singapore - The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has sent a 20-man medical team to Afghanistan as the city state's contribution to the multinational reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, a government statement said Monday.

The team, comprising medical and nursing officers, would be deployed in the field hospital in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital of Oruzgan, for three months from this month.

A second 20-man team would replace the first team in February 2009 and serve in the field hospital till May 2009, the statement said.

The SAF medical team would provide primary health care and ward capability at the field hospital in support of the Australian and Dutch forces deployed in Oruzgan.

This will be the SAF's second deployment to Afghanistan this year.

The SAF deployed a six-man construction engineering team to Bamiyan province earlier this year to supervise the construction of the Regional Health Training Centre and a security wall at a university dormitory. (dpa)