Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is providing critical medical support to our neighbours in PNG, including through the rollout of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Herbert for his deep engagement with, and concern for, the people of Papua New Guinea. The World Health Organization has identified that PNG is facing large-scale community transmission. We know that so far there are 19 of 22 provinces that are facing some form of outbreak. We also know that Port Moresby hospital, as one example, is dealing with great pressure on the number of beds, with over 90 per cent of beds occupied, and we are seeing an increase in the number of lives lost.

In that context, Australia has stepped in in a number of ways. Firstly, we've already provided $60 million to assist them, and there's $144 million directly for vaccine support—a critical step forward. Secondly, however, we are providing vaccines. As the Prime Minister said, to assist their frontline health workers we'll immediately make 8,000 vaccines available. This is after discussions with the Papua New Guinean government. They will be distributed shortly with appropriate consumables—those items that can assist in the administration of the vaccines. We have sought, and will be seeking, one million vaccines of Australia's contingent, which has been held by the European Union, as the Prime Minister has just said, to be made available for the urgent lifesaving need in Papua New Guinea. We hope that is accepted as a critical global responsibility, to make sure those vaccines which have been held back, 3.1 million of 3.8 million, are allowed out for this fundamental humanitarian task.

In addition to that, we have also made available a medical assistance package, beginning with AUSMAT. There's an AUSMAT forward assessment team, which is due to be on the ground in Papua New Guinea during the course of next week. It will assess needs and assist with the program. As part of that, we are providing critical medical assistance: one million surgical masks, 200,000 N95 masks, 100,000 gloves, 100,000 gowns, 100,000 pairs of goggles. As well as that, there are 20,000 face shields, 100,000 units of hand sanitiser and, very importantly, 200 non-invasive ventilators. Given the nature of them and the fact that we will be able to provide that assistance by Australian medical authorities working in a remote way with people across PNG, these may well prove to be lifesaving, absolutely fundamental humanitarian forms of medical aid. So I want to thank the member for Herbert and thank the member for Leichhardt for being such advocates. Our job is to put out the hand of friendship to those who have given it to us— (Time expired)