Engineers And Medical Outreach Teams Commence Work

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19th October 2009, 07:17pm - Views: 715





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DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE



Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT

Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 6265 1545



MSPA 350/09

Monday, 19 October 2009  


ENGINEERS AND MEDICAL OUTREACH TEAMS COMMENCE WORK 


With the arrival of HMAS Kanimbla and Army engineers in the Padang area over the

weekend, the Australian Defence Force contribution to the earthquake affected city has

transitioned to reconstruction and recovery work.


The engineers from the Darwin based 1st Combat Engineer Regiment promptly moved to

Seigeringging and set to work building an interim health care facility for the local population.


The facility will provide ongoing health care until the town’s health centre, which was

destroyed in the earthquake on September 30, can be rebuilt.


“The building will have an open floor plan and moveable partition internal walls to enable the

community to customise it’s layout to meet specific needs,” the Australian Joint Task Force

Engineer Adviser Major Maddock said.


The need for the interim health care facility was identified by AusAID, who have continued

coordinating the building project with local authorities.

Lieutenant Colonel Lachlan Sinclair, Commanding Officer of the 1st Health Support Battalion

(1HSB) and the primary health care team working in the village, says the new facility will be

staffed by the town’s displaced medical workers and will remain for the community to use

once their regular facility is rebuilt.


“Our operation will eventually wind down and the 1HSB element will return to Australia

having completed another successful deployment.”


In the mean time, the primary health care teams are travelling into the outlying villages to

conduct health clinics for those who cannot access Seigeringging.


“Most of these people don’t have the time or the money to travel to seek medical aid. Many

are too busy trying to rebuild their homes and their health has been a second priority to them,”

Lieutenant Colonel Sinclair said.


Media Note:

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Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664






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