Australia is boosting its assistance to Papua New Guinea with the deployment of a second, larger team of health and medical specialists to respond to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
According to the Australian High Commission in PNG, the 20 member Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) will provide expert support to Papua New Guinea’s National Control Centre for COVID-19 to help establish safe and effective systems to support the management of severe and critical cases.
The team, which includes clinical specialists, will operate primarily from Port Moresby General Hospital, to address health workforce shortages and system gaps.
This assistance is in response to a request from the PNG Government and recommendations made by an initial AUSMAT team, deployed on 23 March, 2021.
The team will be in Papua New Guinea for up to four weeks, working together with local health authorities, including to:
• Assist PMGH 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 National Control Centre (NCC) for COVID-19, the National Department of Health (NDOH), and the World Health Organization (WHO); and
• Provide specialist advice to PNG authorities on how the government can best respond to the current upsurge of COVID-19 transmission in provinces.
The AUSMAT team has been vaccinated in advance of their travel to Port Moresby and will be able to start work as soon as they arrive.
The team is travelling to Port Moresby on a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft that is also transporting additional medical supplies and infrastructure to support the response.
Supplies include refrigerators, eskies and coolers to store vaccines at an appropriate temperature; aspirators, defibrillators and vital signs monitors; and further medical equipment for St John Ambulance PNG.
As of April 11, 2021 the NCC reported 69 deaths, from 9 of the 22 provinces.
The latest death case, a 60-year-old male, was reported in Jiwaka Province.
The High Commission says Australia’s support will help save lives and support the health system of its closest Pacific neighbour.