Slideshow: Aerial photos of damage to Samoa
Dr Ben Matalavea told Radio New Zealand today from the main hospital in Apia that medical facilities were under pressure, with a shortage of medical staff to treat the injured.
Dr Matalavea said blood banks were also running low and many of the victims were expected to need surgery.
Army Health Services director, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Dunn said the New Zealand Defence Force was liaising closely with NZAid and together they would support relief efforts in Samoa.
A Hercules has gone over to Samoa with army medical staff, medical supplies, tents, food and temporary morgues.
The team's key task will be to assist in preventing an outbreak of infectious disease and help address issues around water supply and sewerage, Dr Dunn told New Zealand Doctor newspaper.
The team would also assess the vaccination needs of the population there. In the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, there was a high incidence of tetanus because the population was not fully vaccinated, Dr Dunn said.
NZ Doctor also reported that Worldwise Travellers Health Centres are offering to collect any medical supplies that doctors and businesses would like to donate to help in the Samoan aid effort.
The travel medicine business has clinics in Auckland, Hamilton, Whakatane, New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Christchurch.
Worldwise's medical director Marc Shaw said the supplies most needed were dressings and antibiotics.
Dr Shaw said donating medical supplies was the best way to help during the acute response phase after a tsunami.
This phase was dominated by either death or reasonably mild injuries, such as scratches and bruises, which meant that doctors who rush over to help can really just end up "getting in the way", he said.
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners was waiting for direction from the Ministry of Health as to how GP members may be able to help. The ministry was holding a meeting this morning to discuss the crisis.
The New Zealand Medical Association would talk to its members once a need for further medical assistance was established, chief executive Cameron McIver said.
Red Cross New Zealand has sent a few trained humanitarian aid workers over, but was waiting for Red Cross workers in Samoa to specify what further help they needed before sending more assistance.
At this stage, the RCNZ had received requests for practical necessities, such as water, water containers, tarpaulins, blankets and kitchenware, marketing and communications manager Denise MacKay said.
