Officials from Samoa were among Pacific Island nations that observed the New Zealand Medical Assistance Team (NZMAT) and the army health teams test their response to catastrophic events.

The NZMAT and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) health teams combined for the first time last week from 24 October to 2 November 2023 test their response to a catastrophic event in Aotearoa. About 50 personnel from both organisations took part in Exercise Kotahitanga, which was held at Trentham Military Camp in Upper Hutt, according to a press release issued by the NZ government.

The NZMAT and NZDF health teams tested how health facilities, equipment and staff across the organisations worked together in a deployable health facility, following a catastrophic event.

“We’re looking at the response that might be needed if there is a major event such as an earthquake within the Hikurangi Trench, off the North Island’s east coast,” said Director-General of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati.

“In such an event, there could be many deaths, thousands of injuries, displacement of people and substantial damage to hospitals and other health facilities.”

NZMAT has previously responded to offshore events, such as the Samoa measles outbreak in 2019, and to the Cook Islands and Fiji during the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as natural disasters in the Pacific.

“Exercise Kotahitanga will test our ability to provide healthcare to the population at home following a catastrophic event,” said Dr. Sarfati said.

The NZMAT fixed facility can treat up to 100 patients a day, while the mobile facility includes a team of people who can reach remote areas and treat up to 50 people a day.

“This joint exercise provides an opportunity for trained clinical personnel and other deployment partners to familiarise themselves with the facilities,” added Dr. Sarfati.

Pacific nations observers, including teams from Australia, Fiji and Samoa as well as World Health Organisation (WHO) representatives attended. 

Major James Josephs, of the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps, said the exercise involved practising setting up the facilities, as well as allowing the NZDF to understand the role of NZMAT and identifying mutual support opportunities.

The NZDF facility, known as a ‘Role 2’, provides advanced trauma management and emergency medical treatment involving surgical interventions, as part of a military treatment chain. 

A large number of the Role 2 staff are Reserve Force personnel, who generally already work in the health system, and the capability is continuing to be developed by the NZDF. There may be opportunities in future for the Role 2 to be deployed, complementing an NZMAT response, the Ministry said in a statement.

“We recently deployed the Role 2 personnel in an exercise carried out at Whanganui Hospital. Now we are seeing how we can move our facilities,” Major Josephs said.

“Our ‘Role 2’ facilities are smaller than the NZMAT but it is intended that we are very mobile. Once prepared for departure, we intend to deploy in a C-130 Hercules or two trucks and then be set up in a matter of hours.”