Australian Doctors Must Be Involved in Planning Medical Response To Possible Local Terror Attacks

Main Category: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Article Date: 13 Jul 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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AMA President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today it is vitally important that the AMA takes a key coordinating role in planning the medical response to any disasters including terror attacks on Australian soil.

Dr Haikerwal said the British Medical Association (BMA) had direct input to the medical relief effort in London, with some of the injured being treated in BMA House in Tavistock Square, London, following a bomb blast in a bus just outside the building.

"The AMA commends the BMA doctors who responded quickly to help the injured in the emergency, and we offer our condolences to the families and friends of those killed and injured, including BMA personnel," Dr Haikerwal said.

"Our thoughts are with the British people who are standing up so resolutely and bravely against this evil and callous attack on innocent people going about their daily lives."

Dr Haikerwal said the threat of terror is very real in all parts of the world today and Australia must learn from the UK experience and put in place a medical response plan for a possible attack on Australian targets. The AMA understands that much good work has already been done to prepare for such a threat but it is imperative that this planning includes greater engagement of doctors - both specialists and general practitioners.

"We know that Australian GPs and specialists are ready to help in a local disaster, and the AMA must be involved in the coordination, planning and implementation of an integrated medical responseshould it be needed," Dr Haikerwal said.

"The AMA received hundreds of offers to help from Australian doctors following the Asian tsunami and we are getting more inquiries now in response to the London blasts. Our members want more information and training in disaster medicine and bioterrorism.

"If there is a terror attack and there are casualties, people will be seeking the nearest possible emergency medical treatment.

"Community GPs and public hospitals would be the front line of our medical response to terror attack, and the AMA is well equipped to assist in the deployment of properly trained doctors to where they are needed most or to direct patients to the most appropriate source of care.

"Proper coordination of medical resources would ensure patients are moved through the system to free up critical care facilities in hospitals for the most severely injured. We have the expertise and the contacts in every State and Territory and we want to make sure the Government uses them if needed."

Dr Haikerwal will raise the medical response planning issue in meetings with the Department of Health in Canberra tomorrow.

Australian Medical Association
http://www.ama.com.au

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