A specialist Australian medical team and critical equipment have been flown to Papua New Guinea to help respond to the country's surging coronavirus cases.
Seventeen members of the Australian Medical Assistance team including nurses, doctors, and occupational therapists will join three AUSMAT members who flew to PNG last month, primarily working at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
The Australian Defence Force says the emergency response team was sent following a request from PNG's government.
They will provide expert support to PNG's National Control Centre for COVID-19, as well as assisting with the establishment of an emergency centre at the hospital and aiding COVID patients in critical care.
The number of daily COVID-19 infections reached a record high in PNG last month, with the country's major hospital reporting seven out of every 10 symptomatic patients were testing positive for coronavirus.
The spike has also put pressure on PNG's already vulnerable health system.
The hospital in Papua New Guinea's second main city of Lae was forced to suspend services due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.
[Source: abc.net.au]
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