June 2014
Issue 4
NZMAT
Newsletter
Picture of the aftermath of the 8.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Chile on the 2nd
April 2014
NZMAT Training Courses
Inside this issue
Two NZMAT Team Member Courses – March 2014
Foreword
2
NZMAT Training Courses
3
Solomon Islands Flooding
Disaster – April 2014
4
NZMAT Deployment – April / May
2014
5
Personal Deployment Account –
Team Alpha
7
What is NZMAT up to?
8
Personal Deployment Account –
Team Bravo
9
CM Health’s role in a NZMAT
Deployment
12
Are you ready for Deployment?
13
Between 14th and 21st March 2014 two NZMAT Team Member courses were
held in Rotorua, at the New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS) National Training
Centre. NZMAT faculty were joined by their NCCTRC AusMAT colleagues to
introduce 60 course participants to skills and knowledge that may be
required on an international deployment. For the first time course
participants included representatives from the New Zealand Defence Force,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) and the New Zealand Urban Search and
Rescue Team (USAR) who joined participants from a wide range professions
including surgeons, anaesthetists, psychiatrists, public health and primary
care physicians, emergency medicine specialists, flight nurses, theatre
nurses, emergency nurses, primary care nurses, mental health nurses,
midwives, environmental health & health protection officers, anaesthetic
technicians, psychologists, radiographers and paramedics.
Nick Coatsworth, Abi Trewin and Bronte Martin from the National Critical
Care and Trauma Response Centre at the Royal Darwin Hospital in Australia
and Mark Squirrell (Squiz) from Global Frontline presented interactive topics
such as convoy driving, navigation and communication (GPS and radio use),
Tropical and Infectious diseases, media management, situational awareness,
principles of negotiation and survival in austere environments. Simon Hill,
Station Officer at the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service in Australia
was on hand to assist with logistic related queries.
Charles Blanch and Martin Buet from the Ministry of Health along with Mike
Continued on page 3
Foreword: Director Emergency Management, Charles Blanch – Ministry of Health
The last six months have been an incredibly busy time in the Foreign Medical Team and
NZMAT space and unfortunately the area that suffered most as a result was this
newsletter.
The end of the year ended with Vaughan Poutawera (orthopaedic surgeon, Bay of Plenty)
and Jay White (USAR Auckland) being deployed as part of the AusMAT Bravo rotation to
Tacloban in the Philippines in response to Cyclone Haiyan. Cyclone Haiyan was one of
the most destructive cyclones ever recorded and resulted in a level 3 WHO declaration
(the highest) and affected over 14 million people displacing 4 million from their homes.
That deployment with AusMAT was successfully reversed with the inclusion of two
AusMAT doctors on each rotation to the Solomon Island flooding.
In between these significant deployments we successfully ran two back to back Team Members training courses
for 30 people each (last years was 25). It was pleasing to hear in the Solomon Island’s hot debriefing that many
of the scenarios were directly relevant to the mission – though I hope that future training events are not
followed by a disaster so soon.
Personnel within NZMAT have also been involved in working with the WHO Western Pacific Region to evaluate
the effectiveness and coordination of the 155 Foreign Medical teams that deployed.
Ministry staffs have also been activated to attend the MFAT crisis centre for Cyclone Ian and several other
events during cyclone season. Thankfully NZMAT support was not required for most of these.
Most recently Martin Buet and I were able to attend the AusMAT Team Leaders meeting in Canberra and reconnect with representatives from all states and territories. There is a strong commitment to ensure we
continue to lever off respective experiences and capability development in both countries.
I’ll be progressing this during July when I’m seconded for 4 weeks to the National Critical Care Trauma Centre in
Darwin to cover their director whilst he is on leave. Whilst I’m there I will be running a project on interoperability between NZMAT and AusMAT with regard to some of our SOPs, training and equipment.
At the end of July we’ll be sending a NZMAT clinician alongside a colleague from the Ministry of Civil Defence &
Emergency Management at a workshop in Fiji to examine the health disaster risk management framework and
the development of Field Medical Team (FMT) coordination
arrangements in the region.
So why’s this all relevant? I think it’s indicative of the
significant progress over the last two years with NZMAT and
the high regard held for the professionalism and knowledge of
everybody involved – whether they are deployees, part of the
wider team helping to review documents and SOPs or the team
in the background that enable it and make it happen.
The Solomon Islands deployment has proven this capability and
the Team Members course next year will be much more Kiwi
led as a result.
Vaughan Poutawera (Orthopaedic Surgeon) on
Of course there’s always things we can improve and that’s why
deployment in the Philippines in November 2013 as
we debrief but I’d like to finish by thanking everyone who has
part of AusMAT Bravo Deployment Team
supported this work over the last 6 months.
Visit the NZMAT Website @ http://www.health.govt.nz/nzmat
2
NZMAT Training Courses
McEnaney from the NZFS and USAR presented on topics
such as an overview of the NZMAT deployment and
Government agencies processes and the deployment
process through the USAR base in Auckland. Debbie
Sorensen from the Pasifika Medical Association presented
on Pacific health and cultural awareness. Guest speakers
presented on psychological preparedness for deployment
and ‘stories from the field’ – experiences from previous
deployments.
continued from Page 1
Feedback received from course participants:
“I just wanted to say thank you to the NZMAT team
for an outstanding and impressive 3 day course. I
learnt so much and was indeed challenged” RN,
Emergency Department
Each course included a field immersion where participants
were given opportunities to put into practice the skills and
knowledge gained during the classroom sessions.
After a short rest period post the 2014 March courses,
NZMAT faculty staff are back on board and have begun
planning for proposed 2015 NZMAT Team Member
courses. Prerequisite for attendance at a NZMAT Team
Member course is being a registered NZMAT volunteer and
participation is by invitation only. The number of
registered volunteers exceeds training places and selection
priority is aimed to ensure NZMAT deployable modules
have the appropriate pool of trained volunteers to select
from when a team is being assembled for deployment.
Dates for the 2015 courses are 29th April to 2nd May and 4th
to 7th May, again in Rotorua.
“… real life experiences of trainers – examples made
very real… being put into situations beyond comfort
zone and having to cope and then having situations
talked through in a very supportive and constructive
way…” Physician, Public Health
“… thank you so much for organising this amazing 3
days training… I am now realising that the training
was maybe not about the craft of respective
professions or dealing with patients but all about my
ability to cope within an unknown team and working
or trying to work in the same direction respecting
each other whilst allowing everyone to blossom in
their own role and get the best our from people…
and obviously learning new tasks orientated skills..”
RN, Primary Care
Course 1 Participants and Faculty staff – 15th – 17th March 2014
“Best course I’ve attended for a long time!”
Consultant, Aeromedical and Rural Hospital
“Awesome... thoroughly enjoyed every aspect... lots
of laughs but plenty of learnings” Fire Fighter / USAR
“Thank you very much indeed for providing such a
powerful course.” Consultant, Emergency Medicine
Course 2 Participants and Faculty staff – 19th – 21st March 2014
3
Solomon Islands Flooding Disaster – early April 2014
The following is a news article the Ministry of Health released on April 8 th, 2014:
New Zealand disaster medicine specialist deployed to Solomons
Mr Alan Goodey, a consultant anaesthetist from Waikato District Health Board and a member of the New
Zealand Medical Assistance Team (NZMAT), has arrived in the Solomon Islands to assist with the response to
severe flooding.
Mr Goodey deployed via Hercules with ten other New Zealanders from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(MFAT), the New Zealand Defence Force and NGOs as part of the assistance provided in response to a request
from the Solomon Islands Government for humanitarian and health support.
He will provide clinical leadership support to Honiara National Referral Hospital and advice on whether any
additional clinical or medical supply support is required. He has already met with the Medical Superintendent, Dr
Arron Oritaimae, to discuss what support will be required while further assessment of the situation is carried out
today.
Ministry of Health Director of Emergency Management, Charles Blanch, says Mr Goodey’s involvement is due to
a major cooperative effort. “The Ministry of Health has been working closely with MFAT, who are covering all
deployment and consumable costs. Around 300kg of requested medical supplies have also been deployed.
“I’d like to acknowledge the work of Counties Manukau DHB and New Zealand Fire Service USAR in enabling
uniform issue and collection of medical supplies, as well as Waikato DHB in releasing Mr Goodey.
“Mr Goodey’s experience and expertise will make a real difference on the ground in the Solomons.”
Mr Blanch say the Pasifika Medical Association were also invaluable in identifying a suitable clinician and
providing points of contact with Solomon Islands Health.
Mr Goodey led the NZ Health response to the Samoan Tsunami in 2009 and has subsequently completed both
Australian Medical Assistance Teams (AUSMAT) training at the National Critical Care Trauma and Response
Centre in Darwin, and domestic NZMAT training.
Ministry of Health staff will continue to monitor the situation in the Solomons and work with other government
and non-government agencies on further appropriate responses.
Source: The New Zealand Herald Sunday 6 April 2014 – Flooding in Honiara in the Solomon Islands Photo / World Vision
4
Solomon Islands NZMAT Deployment – April / May 2014
Following an official request from the Solomon Islands Government in April 2014, the New Zealand Government
authorised the first NZMAT lead deployment involving two teams of NZMAT trained registered volunteers.
Team Alpha deployed on 15th April consisting of:
Team Bravo deployed on 27th April consisting of:









Emergency Management Advisor (Team Leader) –
Ministry of Health
Emergency Medicine Consultant (Clinical Leader) –
Auckland DHB
Emergency Medicine Consultant – Northland DHB
Public Health Physician – Canterbury DHB
Registered Nurses x 4 from Nelson / Marlborough
DHB, Counties Manukau DHB, Midcentral DHB,
Waikato DHB
NZ Fire Service Urban Search & Rescue Logisticians x 2
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Liaison Officer x 1
Australian Medical Assistance Team (AusMAT) doctors
x2
Team Alpha (left to right): Martin Buet (MoH), Dan van Hoppe
(NZFS), Dr Christopher Denny (ADHB), Dr Kavita Varshney
(AusMAT), RN Michelle Peperkoorn (CMDHB), RN Michael
McNabb (NMDHB), Dr Scott Cameron (NDHB), Warren Glassford
(NZFS), Dr Alistair Humphrey (CDHB), RN Lucas Fraser (WDHB),
Dr Adrienne Deans (AusMAT)





Emergency Management Advisor (Team Leader) –
Ministry of Health
Paediatrician (Clinical Leader) – Lakes DHB
Public Health Physician – Bay of Plenty DHB
Registered Nurses x 4 from Counties Manukau
DHB (2), Southern DHB, self-employed
NZ Fire Service Urban Search & Rescue
Logisticians x 2
AusMAT doctors x 2
Team Bravo (left to right): Brett Southey (NZFS), Michael
McEnaney (NZFS), Murray Halbert (MoH), Dr Andrew
Magness (AusMAT), RN Catherine Sinclair (SDHB), RN Kevin
Hensall (CMDHB), RN Helen Polley (CMDHB), Dr Ruth
Lennox (LDHB), Dr Phil Shoemack (BoPDHB), Dr Sarah
Coombes (AusMAT), RN Joy Millar (independent)
Both teams provided medical assistance by working alongside the local medical staff in the Emergency Department
at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara.
This edition of the NZMAT Newsletter includes articles from two NZMAT volunteers who deployed to the Solomon
Islands – Dr Christopher Denny (Clinical Leader – Team Alpha from Auckland DHB) and RN Helen Polley (Team
Bravo from Counties Manukau DHB).
5
NZMAT Reference Group
The NZMAT Reference Group is
accountable to the Director of
Emergency Management, NZ Ministry
of Health.
The objectives of the NZMAT Reference
Group are to advise on:
1. The purpose and function of NZMAT
and the scope of its operations
2. The recruitment and selection
process and criteria for NZMAT
volunteers
3. The development and selection of
NZMAT work-stream group
members and their work outputs
4. Operational documentation
associated with the NZMAT,
including standard operating
procedures
5. Other existing and potential issues
that affect the formation or
deployment of a NZMAT
6. Suitable options for managing any
issues
NZMAT Reference Group Membership
includes representatives from Ministry
of Health Emergency Management
team, Counties Manukau Health,
Pasifika Medical Association, NZ Fire
Service —Urban Search and Rescue and
the NZ Defense Force.
Pictures from the Solomon Islands
Deployment – April / May 2014
Team Alpha arriving in Honiara, Solomon Islands
Our AusMAT colleagues (part of
Team Bravo) Dr Sarah Coombes
and Dr Andrew Magness at work
at the National Referral Hospital,
Honiara, Solomon Islands
RN Michelle Peperkoorn
(Team Alpha) at the triage
desk, National Referral
Hospital, Honiara, Solomon
Islands
To be considered for a NZMAT deployment you need:

To be registered on the NZMAT Volunteer Database

A valid passport, valid for at least 6 months prior to expiry date

Up-to-date vaccinations
For more information regarding deployment requirements, please review the NZMAT
Operations Manual which can be found at: http://www.health.govt.nz/nzmat
6
Solomon Islands NZMAT Deployment – Personal Account from Team
Alpha’s Clinical Team Leader Dr Christopher Denny, Emergency
Medicine Consultant, Auckland DHB
The New Zealand Medical Assistance Team deploys to the
Solomon Islands
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. In response, the Solomon
Islands Government requested medical assistance from New
Zealand.
http://www.wpro.who.int/southpacific/programmes/health_s
ector/emergencies/solomons-flashfloods-2014/en/
This preamble helps explain how we ended up on a plane to
Honiara, serving as the Ministry of Health New Zealand
Medical Assistance Team Alpha. Our team included health
care professionals (nurses and doctors) from across
New Zealand, plus two Emergency Medicine specialists
from Australia. We were led by Mr. Martin Buet
(MOH). One of our first objectives was to create a
sense of ‘swift trust’ within our team, crucial given we
were to spend the next fortnight looking after patients
together. We needed to turn a ‘team of experts into
an expert team’:
http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/22/5/369.abstra
ct
The New Zealand Medical Assistance Team is a recent
creation of the Ministry of Health; this mission was the
first major NZMAT deployment:
http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/new-zealandmedical-assistance-team
The World Health Organization looks to standardize
our Foreign Medical Team (FMT) emergency response:
http://www.who.int/hac/global_health_cluster/fmt/e
n/
In essence, NZMAT were tasked with lending a helping
hand to our neighbour in need. It was an honour to
spend time caring for the people of the Solomon
Islands. They consistently demonstrated courage,
patience and equanimity with the members of our
team. Clinical presentations to the National Referral
Hospital Emergency Department humbled us with
their pace and intensity. Amongst the myriad
presentations of diarrheal and other febrile illnesses,
Dr Chris Denny and members of Team Alpha
greeting Team Bravo upon their arrival in the
Solomon Islands
one case is seared into my memory. A young woman
presented in status epilepticus: As we resuscitated
her, the constellation of hypoglycemia, soaring fever
and point-of-care Malaria rapid detection kit
diagnosed her with Plasmodium falciparum cerebral
malaria. A few days later she made a full recovery.
One highlight for our team was blending public health
with acute care medicine. In collaboration with our
public health physician and the World Health
Organization, precise case definitions at triage helped
Team Alpha’s Logisticians Warren Glassford and Dan van
Hoppe at work at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara
Solomon Islands – ensuring all smoke detectors were
operational!
7
Dr Chris Denny at work at the National Referral Hospital in
Honiara Solomon Islands
to provide real-time syndromic surveillance. Access to
clean water was and remains a massive challenge for
those affected by the flash floods. Further,
malnutrition is affecting many young children in the
region. Many governmental and non-governmental
organizations are working together to provide the
people of the Solomon Islands with access to these
essential resources.
Our deployment finished with an ‘in-country’
handover to NZMAT Team Bravo. Upon returning
home we met with the Ministry of Health to debrief
our mission. We would like to thank our work
colleagues in the various DHBs for their clinical and
administrative support while we were overseas on
deployment. Further, it was an honour to serve
alongside our colleagues from the New Zealand Fire
Service (Urban Search and Rescue) and the Australian
Medical Assistance Team (AusMAT). Many thanks to
Charlie, Judy, Vicky et al. for their energy and
commitment to NZMAT.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
National Referral Hospital, Honiara, Solomon Islands
Christopher Denny, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FACEP, FACEM
Clinical Team Leader (Alpha), New Zealand Medical
Assistance Team
Senior Medical Officer in Emergency Medicine
Auckland HEMS Medical Director, the Auckland Rescue
Helicopter Trust
Honorary Senior Lecturer, the University of Auckland
What is NZMAT up to?
Behind the scenes there is a hive of activity being undertaken, which includes:
 The NZMAT Operational Manual is being updated and converted in a
National NZMAT Manual – Preparedness, deployment and postdeployment activities of New Zealand Medical Assistance Teams
(NZMAT) domestically and internationally
 17 hot and cold debriefs and follow on workshops conducted
following the Solomon Islands deployment
 Drafted an aide memoire for team and clinical leaders to use in the
field
 Participation in the re-established Australian AusMAT Working Group
 Working groups developing protocols around NZMAT deployable modules
 Working group confirming medical equipment and supplies kits required for a NZMAT to be selfsufficient for the first 2 weeks of a deployment
 MoH and clinical group working with DHB’s and professional bodies discussing salary reimbursement
guidelines for deployed personnel
 Represented New Zealand at the East Asian Summit on Rapid Disaster Response and Foreign Medical
Teams
8
Solomon Islands NZMAT Deployment – Personal Account from Team
Bravo’s Helen Polley, Registered Nurse, Counties Manukau Health
All of us involved in NZMAT listen to the news avidly when there
has been a disaster somewhere, I am sure I’m not the only one.
The flood that occurred in the Solomon Island in April caused a
bit of discussion amongst my colleagues and friends. I knew a
few people in CMDHB Emergency Department who had been
contacted about going but I heard nothing…..
The week before Easter I received a call from Judy Fairgray
asking if I was interested in going to the Solomon Islands as part
of the Bravo Team, indeed I was. The nature of the deployment
called for ED skills which is why ED staff had been chosen for the
Alpha team, the Bravo team had a differing scope of skills – most
of us didn’t primarily have an ED skill set and the compilation
changed slightly due to the feedback that the Alpha team had
given NZMAT, for example our team had a paediatrician
included, the lovely Ruth Lennox which was an advantage.
I felt the training weekend in Rotorua which I had
completed in March 2014 set us up well for the
deployment; some situations would have been more
difficult had we not had some idea of what to expect.
Below are a few examples where the training was
beneficial:
 The arrival at the USAR base where the fabulous
team there reformatted us, our clothing and our
gear. Very slickly done and highly organized –
right down to having the correct sized uniforms
waiting for you (you do get a chance to exchange
them though if body habitat has changed a bit!)
 Experiencing mixed emotions, very natural and
expected but it was good to know that excitement,
a bit of nervousness and a desire not to make a
complete fool of myself in front of strangers was
all quite normal
Helen Polley organising her equipment bag at
the USAR Base in Pitt Street Auckland prior to
departure to the Solomon Islands as part of
Team Bravo

On our day off during the deployment some of our
team encountered civilian road blocks asking for
money and creating a bit of a scene but thanks to
the planning of the training weekend everyone
was able to handle the situation calmly and with a
sense of authority (these things also provide
fodder for good stories)
The training weekend prepared us for a lot more than
these examples so if you do get invited to attend one
then take note and enjoy it because it is full of very
relevant information.
It was intriguing to see how well a group of 11 people
who didn’t know each other could become a team in
such a short period of time. Nine of us left Auckland
airport, we picked up Andrew and Sarah, our two fab
Australian team members in Brisbane and by the time
we landed in Honiara we were “THE BRAVO TEAM”.
Honiara, Solomon Islands April 2014 – the only way to cross the river due to the bridge being washed away due to recent
flooding
9
Living and travelling conditions were considerably
better than I had expected. I was prepared for military
style tents and showering arrangements but our
accommodation was actually in a hotel so air
conditioning and normal bathrooms was what we had
to “put up with”. I must say that these wee treats
were very much appreciated after working 10hr shifts
in 35 - 40 degree heat at times. In our debrief back in
NZ it was explained by Charlie Blanch that if at all
possible deployment teams would always be
accommodated comfortably, this certainly helps one’s
ability to work well. It’s important to acknowledge
that great accommodation is not always possible and
there are many colleagues who have been on
deployments without such luxury so don’t expect it!
Triage area, National Referral Hospital, Honiara Solomon
Islands
When people ask me what the work was like I describe
it as “interesting”, this covers all the bases and is
enough for those making polite enquiries, anyone who
is genuinely interested asks for more.
Our work place was the National Referral Hospital
(NRH) and our brief was to facilitate the treatment of
patients through the Emergency Department as the
department was overwhelmed with diseases related
to poor sanitation and water quality. The flood caused
30 evacuation centres to be created which were
meant to assist 10,000 displaced people.
We worked with the local staff and treated the general
population, some cases were directly related to the
flood circumstances such as dehydration from “throw
out and belle run” (pidgin for diarrhoea and vomiting)
and some cases were typical ED scenarios, seizures,
asthma, sepsis etc. Nothing else was typical, the
ambulances were often Utes bringing not only patients
but others that just needed a lift into town.
10
The arrival of any vehicle at the “ambulance” bay was
a major source of entertainment for everyone. The
triage desk saw a vast number of patients varying from
64 to 175 in a 24hour period. Not all patients made it
into the triage numbers either as often they arrived in
Resus via the ambulance bay so the actual numbers
would be greater than reported. The “diarrhoea” desk
saw anything from 40 - 119 in a 24hour period, all of
these were categorized into minor, moderate or
severe dehydration and treated accordingly. NZMAT
did not take part in the diarrhoea clinic other than the
basic triage requirements. This clinic and its
treatments were run solely by the local hospital staff
and a long term Australian doctor.
Getting the limited available resources in a timely
manner was a logistical challenge at times so
‘inventiveness’ in managing with the resources
available was required at times.
Initially I found the work difficult, it took me 4 days to
let go of “best practice” and feel comfortable working
within the limitations we had without compromising
how I felt as a professional. I certainly appreciate even
more what we have at our fingertips in our everyday
practice here in NZ and I have a better idea of what
equipment I would personally take next time.
Never underestimate the logistic team members, they
have their finger on the pulse as far as where to buy,
borrow, mend, alter and create things, our two logistic
team members were Brett and ‘Macca’ (from the NZ
Fire Service USAR team), a scarier pair you couldn’t
hope for but they could turn their hands to most
things. They supplied us with trolleys, drip stands and
Charles Blanch (Director, Emergency Management MoH)
with NZMAT Team Bravo prior to the team’s departure for
the Solomon Islands at USAR Base in Pitt Street Auckland
lots of other useful things, they had a great knack of
finding broken equipment tucked away in a hospital
workshop somewhere and fixing it for our use. We all
had one day off during the deployment (not all the
same day!) and most of us visited the Guadalcanal
World War 2 memorials at some stage. For one the
memorials were atop a hill so gave a great 360 view
but also to read a bit more about it and actually see
the area. Guadalcanal is the name of one of the
surrounding provinces of Honiara.
Returning to normality was pretty much as I expected,
a couple of days feeling tired, a bit flat, I missed my
team buddies more than I expected to in those first 2
or 3 days but BRAVO team had quite a flurry of emails
for about 10 days which was good contact and now a
month later there is the occasional email within the
team. I believe we have all had a psych debriefing
over the phone and there is opportunity to make
further contact if we feel the need. In my opinion the
support and follow up has been far more than
required but in deployments where we may have been
exposed to trauma and highly charged emotional
situations it may be necessary to have this
comprehensive follow up. I know that NZMAT are
following a set process to ensure nothing gets missed
and working on improving things in response to
feedback received, in the long run I guess it is safer to
over cater rather than under in regards to mental
health.
The experience led me to see and do some things that
I would never have done otherwise and I believe every
deployment will have different opportunities. I am
grateful to the fabulous members of the BRAVO team
and our Camp Leader, Murray Halbert for making it
such an enriching experience but also for the
encouragement during the not-so-great times and the
deep belly laughs we all had together.
Thanks to the USAR team and those in the CMDHB and
MOH who kept us safe.
Members of Team Bravo (Dr Ruth Lennox, Dr Sarah Coombs, RN
Kevin Henshall and Mike ‘Macca’ McEnaney (USAR logistician)
Alternative transport across the river in Honiara after recent
flooding washed away the bridge
Register as a Volunteer for NZMAT via the following website:
https://volunteerhealth.org.nz
11
Counties Manukau Health’s Role in a NZMAT Deployment
Counties Manukau Health (CM Health) is responsible for the logistic
component of a NZMAT deployment. CM Health will liaise closely with
the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the NZ Fire Service’s Auckland USAR
team to provide the following:

Act as a coordination centre for NZMAT volunteers

Act as a coordination centre for acquiring and deploying
support resources

Manage operational information relating to logistical
requirements

Develop planning around the movement of personnel,
equipment and supplies

Effectively and efficiently control logistical support for a
NZMAT deployment

Effectively and efficiently utilise all available resources in NZ
and at the deployment site

Coordinate logistical requirements for a NZMAT deployment

Provide welfare support of the NZMAT volunteers deployed
and their families

Provide for a safe working environment for the NZMAT
volunteers deployed
Toppled building in Taiwan following a 7.2 magnitude
earthquake in September 1999
For Further Information about the NZMAT Contact:
Judy Fairgray
NZMAT Programme Manager
Judy.Fairgray@middlemore.co.nz
Charles Blanch
Director, Emergency Management – MoH
Charles_Blanch@moh.govt.nz
Vicky Tafau
NZMAT Coordinator
Vicky.Tafau@cmdhb.org.nz
Martin Buet
Regional Emergency Management Advisor (Midlands) – MoH
Martin_Buet@moh.govt.nz
12
Are you ready for Deployment?
NZMAT Volunteer Responsibilities
How ready are you to be deployed? There is a lot of organisation by
numerous Government agencies that goes into preparing a team of
health professionals for an international deployment – whether a
dedicated NZMAT or as part of an AusMAT deployment.
NZMAT volunteers play an important part in ensuring the
deployment process goes smoothly and no ‘surprises’ occur as
volunteers go through Customs at the International Airport. How do
they do this? By ensuring they are ready for deployment by:

Having a current passport valid for at least six months
beyond the expected completion date of the deployment
- anything less will prevent a volunteer from being
deployed


Ensuring any visa requirements to return to New Zealand post deployment are up-to-date
All required vaccinations are up-to-date and proof of vaccination can be provided
- Required vaccinations for a SW Pacific deployment are: childhood vaccinations (polio, MMR, TB
etc.), tetanus, seasonal influenza, hepatitis A & B and typhoid
- Proof via a vaccination ‘passport’, copies of vaccination documentation or a signed NZMAT
Vaccination Declaration form.

No criminal record which will prevent access into other countries

Customs will not prevent departure from New Zealand due to unpaid traffic fines

Have a copy of their professional registration documents
If you are unsure about any of the deployment requirements for NZMAT volunteers please contact the NZMAT
Programme Manager Judy Fairgray at Judy.Fairgray@middlemore.co.nz
NZMAT will deploy only at the request of the local
medical authority in the disaster area
13
Have you visited the NZMAT Website?
Its official - NZMAT has its own website!
The website is hosted by the Ministry of Health and can be accessed
it via http://www.health.govt.nz/nzmat.
Is there is any information you are
looking not found on the website let
the NZMAT Programme Manager.
On this website you can find information covering the following
areas:
 About NZMAT
 Volunteering information
 Background
 Applying
 Deployment
 Notice of deployment
 Reference Group
 Prerequisites for
volunteering
 Team Structure
 Training
 Photos
 What to expect on
 Information about any
deployment
current deployment
 Resources
 Related publications
 Employer information  Related websites
 Past Newsletter
editions
 Q & A sheet
Register as a Volunteer for NZMAT via https://volunteerhealth.org.nz
Do you have a burning question related to NZMAT?
Is there information you would like to see in
Newsletter?
Send your questions and comments to:
Judy.Fairgray@middlemore.co.nz
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