Western Australian medical staff return from Pakistan

Director General of Health Kim Snowball recently welcomed home nine Western Australian health professionals following their deployment to flood ravaged Pakistan.

The staff were part of a 27-member Australian Medical Assistance Team deployed with the Commonwealth’s AusAID program to help with relief efforts after the worst flooding in Pakistan’s history.

Together with State and Territory counterparts and the Australian Defence Force, the medical teams provided primary health care to more than 11,000 Pakistan civilians, including maternal and children's health services, basic diagnostic services, and a preventative health program. The team’s main focus was preventing and treating conditions from water borne diseases. More than 20 million people have been directly affected by the Pakistan floods with the official death toll standing at more than 1,700.

Western Australian medical staff were split into two teams, comprised of doctors, nurses and paramedics from across Australia. Each team spent approximately four weeks in Kot Addu in the worst affected, Punjab region of Pakistan.

WA Team Members

• Dr Judith Findlay, General Practitioner
• Dr Yusuf Nagree, Emergency Physician, Fremantle Hospital
• Craig Telford, Special Operations Paramedic, St John Ambulance
• Ms Joanne Wilson, Senior Emergency Nurse, Royal Perth Hospital Emergency
• Dr Lenn Harris, General Practitioner
• Dr Helen Mead, Emergency Physician, Princess Margaret Hospital
• Ms Lynette Cheverall, Emergency Nurse, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
• Ms Simone Wright, Emergency Nurse, Royal Perth Hospital
• Ms Angela Jackson, Emergency Nurse, Casual Pool

Congratulations to the team on your outstanding contribution to international health and your fine efforts in helping the people of Pakistan.