Kanimbla crash sails for Operation Padang Assist
8 October 2009 By LEUT Gary McHugh
HMAS Kanimbla (CMDR Timothy Byles) crash sailed for Sumatra on October 3 as part of Operation Padang Assist, the Australian Government's humanitarian aid response to the earthquakes that hit Sumatra two days earlier.
After embarking two Sea King helicopters, LCM8 landing craft and LARCs (Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo vehicle) in Townsville, Kanimbla sailed to Darwin where she will take on further medical and Army personnel.
The ship will then head for Padang, the city closest to the earthquake’s epicentres.
The ship is also carrying the Primary Care Reception Facility (PCRF), a team of highly-qualified medical specialists who are ready to deploy at short notice in times of crisis.
The PCRF, which includes surgeons, doctors, nurses and other medical specialists, will provide vital support to local doctors in the effort to minimise the loss of life in Padang and surrounding areas.
Commander Byles said Kanimbla had plenty of experience in humanitarian aid efforts, both real time and exercise, and the ship’s company was well equipped to carry out the task they had been given.
"HMAS Kanimbla has significant experience in working with the PCRF and the various other specialist teams we have onboard," he said.
“In fact, we recently returned from Exercise Olgetta Warrior in Papua New Guinea where we had a full PCRF embarked so we are confident of being able to provide valuable assistance to the Indonesian Government.”
CMDR Byles said he expected many of the affected region’s roads to be impassable to vehicular traffic so the Sea Kings would be used to allow remote villages to have access to medical aid.
“With the helicopters embarked we expect to be able to provide the local authorities with further options to reach remote and isolated communities,” he said.
PCRF OIC Commander Ken Walters said once on location he expected his team’s priorities would be to liaise with the coordinating authority and to deploy his team accordingly.
“Once the initial contact is made with the coordinating body, we can then focus our attention on those areas that the local authorities identify as most pressing,” he said.
“The PCRF is an extremely flexible and capable unit made up of 31 highly trained medical staff which will prove a very valuable asset once we are on location.”
Once in Padang, Kanimbla will join part of a joint task force that is working closely with Indonesian authorities, the Department of Foreign Affairs, AusAid and other agencies.
The primary focus of the joint task force is to assess and provide medical and infrastructure assistance as requested by the Indonesian Government.
The total Australian Defence Force commitment to Operation Padang Assist is about 500 personnel.
