Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal

Ms COOK (Fisher) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Health. Can the minister inform the house about South Australia's latest recipients for the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (15:01): Thank you to the member for Fisher. The member for Fisher pointed out to me that Judy Tapara, who is a former colleague of the member for Fisher in the Flinders Medical Centre emergency department and, indeed, even more importantly, a constituent in the seat of Fisher, is one of the recipients of the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal.

The medal was established in 1999 to honour those who perform humanitarian service in a foreign country, in particular those working in dangerous environments during a humanitarian crisis. Recently, the Governor-General endorsed awarding the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal as part of the Australian medical assistance teams sent to Samoa in 2009 and Pakistan in 2010. This included 12 South Australian healthcare workers who were deployed to Samoa in late 2009 to help deal with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake and tsunami.

At the time, South Australia made up a large part of the first response. In fact, I understand Dr Bill Griggs, Dr Stephen Christley and SA Health were able to organise a team within 90 minutes of receiving an urgent request for medical assistance from the Samoan government. The South Australian team were on the first flight from Australia and arrived into Apia only 24 hours after the tsunami struck. They performed often traumatic and complex patient care and provided crucial logistical support for other Australian medical aid. Their work was recognised by the Australian High Commission in Samoa.

All South Australian team members were outstanding in their professionalism and actions throughout their deployment, as were those who remained in Australia coordinating the continuing disaster assistance effort. Can I acknowledge the team who continued to work back in Adelaide, ensuring support was provided not only to the deployed team but to their families and loved ones.

We also honoured Dr Ben D'Souza from the Women's and Children's Hospital. Dr D'Souza was deployed to Pakistan in 2010 after large parts of the country were hit by torrential monsoonal rain resulting in flash flooding, loss of life and widespread displacement. The disaster was estimated to affect over 20 million people. Dr D'Souza arrived in Pakistan as part of the second medical assistance team and was primarily responsible for the development of a food product which is credited with saving the lives of many children. As with Samoa, a team was in place in Adelaide to support the mission and keep families up to date.

I would like to place on the record my appreciation of the outstanding efforts of all medal recipients, and those who supported their work back in Adelaide, to provide crucial assistance to the people in Samoa and Pakistan. I'd like to mention that, since the Pakistan deployment, South Australian healthcare workers have gone on to provide emergency aid to the Philippines in 2013, following typhoon Haiyan, and to Fiji earlier this year, following hurricane Winston. With the many challenges our world faces it is heartening to know that South Australia stands ready to offer such talented professionals to respond to those in need.