Ten New South Wales residents who were injuredin the White Island volcanodisaster are being flown to Sydney to receive critical care.
Chief HealthOfficer Dr Kerry Chant said the patients will be treated in NSW Health’sworld-leading adult burns units, with three arriving overnight at ConcordHospital and one at Royal North Shore Hospital.
NSW Health is working with Commonwealth agencies to facilitate the safereturn of residents, some of whom have life threatening burn injuries.
“Together withour Federal counterparts, we haveoffered assistance to the New Zealand Government to help coordinate the aeromedical retrievals, which commencedovernight,” Dr Chant said.
All thevictims are adults and are being assessed based on clinical priority after theAustralian Overseas Mass Casualty Response Plan was activated to address thetragic outcome of this event.
“At thisterribly sad time when we have lost fellow Australians, I commend the co-operation of both New Zealand and local health authorities to orchestrate thesafe return of these patients who will receive the best care available.”
The NSW HealthAeromedical Retrieval team expects various aircraft from both New Zealand andAustralia to undertake the medivac operation based on the advice of the NZIntensive Care Unit and Burns Network.
NSW Healthasks that the privacy of these patients be respected.
Please note: NSW Health’s Media Unitwill provide a morning and evening patient condition update to all media.
No further personalpatient information will be provided.
