2013 Solomon Islands – Dengue fever outbreak
In April 2013 an Emergency Physician and Registered Nurse deployed as part of the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT) to assist the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in the Solomon Islands following a dengue outbreak. NZMAT personnel worked alongside local emergency department personnel to manage patient care workload and flow while assisting to develop systems to strengthen the NRH emergency department, ensuring longer term resilience to manage continuing surges in demand.
2013 Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan
A NZMAT Orthopaedic Surgeon and Logistician deployed to Tacloban, embedded with AUSMAT teams to provide assistance post one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded in the Philippines.
2014 Solomon Islands – Severe flooding
In early April 2014, sustained heavy rainfall triggered flash flooding in Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands. This sudden onset disaster displaced tens of thousands of people, with the destruction of existing infrastructure and the consequent contamination of water supplies.
NZMAT deployed two rotations over 34 days, including a Forward Planning Team, and two clinical teams who were joined by AUSMAT colleagues. Based in the emergency department of the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara, NZMAT personnel work alongside local health personnel to manage the increased patient workload.
2015 Vanuatu – Cyclone Pam
In March 2015, 13 NZMAT personnel deployed over 28 days to support the local Ministry of Health following Cyclone Pam which is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Vanuatu.
A NZMAT Mobile Team was hosted on the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) HMNZS Canterbury, provided remote care on the Island of Epi in the Shefa province of Vanuatu.
This deployment was the first time NZMAT has worked alongside the NZDF as well as a FENZ’s USAR team, a great opportunity for all three organisations to get to learn about each other’s capability.
2016 Fiji – Tropical Cyclone Winston
In February 2016, Fiji experienced the most intense tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere – Cyclone Winston. The Fijian deployment was largest NZMAT deployment to date with 23 personnel deployed across 6 teams over 25 days.
This deployment saw another first for NZMAT, when a Mobile Team of four personnel was based on the Island of Koro for 7 days, operating from a base of operations to conduct mobile day clinics around the island.
Two surgical teams deployed, based at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva to provide surge and business as usual support to the local theatre personnel.
NZDF hosted a Mobile Team on the HMNZS Canterbury who provided day clinics on the islands of Avea, Vanua Balavu & Cikobia-i-lau.
2018 Tonga – Tropical Cyclone Gita
On Tuesday 13th February 2018, a three person Forward Planning Team (FPT) departed Auckland via RNZAF C-130 to Tonga as part of the Ministry of Affairs and Trade (MFaT) Join Reconnaissance Team (JRT) to assist the Government assess the damage and humanitarian need following the impact of Tropical Cyclone Gita.
Following a needs assessment conduct in conjuntion with the Tongan Ministry of Health, no further assistance from NZMAT was required.
2019 Samoa – Measles outbreak
In November 2019, NZMAT deployed a total of 38 personnel to assist with the measles outbreak in Samoa after the Samoan Ministry of Health declared a measles outbreak on 16th October. Four teams were deployed over a period of just over one month.
This deployment saw a number of milestones for NZMAT:
- First time NZMAT deployed to assist with an ‘outbreak’ rather than a sudden onset disaster
- First time a midwife deployed with the team
- First time NZMAT personnel was involved in a EMT Coordination Centre working alongside WHO representatives and the local MoH, to task international EMT’s who arrived in Samoa to provide assistance
- First time NZMAT cache was sent via commercial airline, which provided unique challenges based on the size of the aircraft.
2021 Cook Islands – COVID-19 vaccination support
The opening of the borders between the Cook Islands and New Zealand in May 2021 provided the opportunity for NZMAT to assist the NZ Ministry of Health’s Global Health team to provide assistance to the Cook Island Government to support the local Ministry of Health rollout the COVID-19 vaccination to the eligible population.
Six rotations of 37 NZMAT personnel over two and half months were deployed to provide surge support to the local MoH to allow local staff to be released from their substantive roles to administer the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
This deployment had many firsts for NZMAT:
- First deployment to support a vaccination rollout
- First provision of medical escorts for aeromedical transfers internationally (from the Cook Islands to New Zealand) as well domestically within the Cook Islands
- First time a pharmacist capability deployed with a NZMAT teams.
2021 Fiji – COVID-19 outbreak
Over 27 days in June / July 2021, a joint deployment between AUSMAT & NZMAT (ANZMAT) deployed to Fiji in response to a request from the Fijian Government for COVID-19 outbreak support. Four NZMAT personnel worked alongside colleagues from Australia and Fiji to support the local Ministry of Health on COVID-19 strategies.
This deployment provided the added challenge of NZMAT personnel having to quarantine upon arrival in Fiji as well as upon their return to New Zealand.
2021 Niue – COVID-19 outbreak
A Mobile Team deployed for 14 days to provide medical surge support at Niue Foo Hospital to easy staffing pressure.