Aust medic team arrives to help control surge in Covid-19

The National National
The 20-member Australian medical assistance team (Ausmat) with officials from the National Control Centre and Australian High Commission in Port Moresby on Friday. – Picture courtesy of Australian High Commission

THE second batch of Australian medical assistance team (Ausmat) arrived in the country on Friday to help respond to the surge in the Covid-19 cases.
The 20-member Austmat team includes health and medical specialists to provide expert support to the National Control Centre (NCC) for the Covid-19 to help establish safe and effective systems to support the management of severe and critical cases, a statement from the Australian High Commission said.
The team will operate primarily from the Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH).
The statement said the team includes clinical specialists who will address PNG’s health workforce shortages and system gaps in response to a request from the Government and recommendations made by an initial Ausmat team deployed last month.
The team will be working with local health authorities for four weeks and:

  • ASSIST PMGH to establish a hospital emergency operations centre;
  • STRENGTHEN capacity to support Covid-19 patients in critical care;
  • ESTABLISH a separate respiratory triage and initial treatment area;
  • PROVIDE coordination support to the NCC, the Health Department, and World Health Organisation; and
  • PROVIDE specialist advice to authorities.

The Austmat team has been vaccinated in advance for their travel and was due to start work on arrival.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft which brought the team has also being transporting additional medical supplies and infrastructure to support the response.
Supplies that are being delivered on this flight included:

  • LARGE tents, tables, chairs and stretchers;
  • REFRIGERATORS, eskies and coolers to store vaccines;
  • MEDICAL devices such as aspirators, defibrillators and vital signs monitors; and
  • MEDICAL equipment for St John Ambulance (SJA).

Since March 13, five RAAF flights and one commercial flight have delivered 8,480 AstraZeneca vaccines and supplies to support the roll-out.