Medical team from Aust arrives to help with Covid-19

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
ANOTHER Australian medical assistance team arrived yesterday in Port Moresby to help local authorities in containing the surge in Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases.
Deputy National Pandemic Response Controller Dr Daoni Esorom said six medical personnel and 14 Australian Defence Force (ADF) soldiers would be based in Port Moresby until a decision was made on where they should be sent to.
A C130J Hercules Royal Australian Air Force aircraft arrived in Port Moresby around 6.30pm yesterday with emergency supplies including pre-packaged personal protective equipment, medicine and oxygen consumables which will be distributed to high-risk provinces.
The Government had asked Australia to send more medical and logistics personnel.
This is the sixth Australian group to arrive in PNG.
Australia has been at the forefront in assisting PNG’s Covid-19 response in the past 20 months.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Marise Payne said Australia was “standing with our friend and neighbour as it faces significant pressure on its health system”.
“Australia and PNG know the importance of partnership. Responding to this current Covid-19 outbreak together, is no exception,” Payne said.
“The team will support the PNG-led response through the allocation of extra health specialists and medical supplies across the health system in response to the current surge in cases.”
The 14 ADF soldiers will join the five ADF planners who arrived in August.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the force’s increasing support was testament to Australia’s commitment to help PNG manage the spread of the Covid-19.
“Tackling Covid-19 is a global challenge and we are proud to contribute additional specialist capacity and expertise, with our ADF personnel working alongside our PNGDF partners to help them in this fight,” Dutton said.