[Source: John Feakes Twitter]

A New Zealand Defence Force medical doctor has deployed to Fiji to join an Australian Medical Assistance Team providing support to health authorities following a surge in cases of COVID-19.

The Government recently announced two New Zealand medical specialists would be embedded with the AUSMAT.

This includes New Zealand Army medical officer Major Naomi Gough, a public health physician with a wide range of experience in communicable disease control, who is set to join the team after completing Fiji’s quarantine requirements.

The AUSMAT’s work will include health system management and infection control measures.

Commander Joint Forces New Zealand Rear Admiral, Jim Gilmour says they are pleased to be able to deploy Naomi to embed with the joint Australia-New Zealand team to support Fiji with their response to the outbreak.

He says as well as being vaccinated, Major Gough and others in the AUSMAT team are taking a range of precautions to protect themselves and prevent the spread of the virus including having their own supplies of Personal Protective Equipment and daily testing.

Major Gough is expected to be in Fiji for about five weeks.

She will complete 14 days in managed isolation on her return to New Zealand.

The NZDF recently deployed a six-person medical team to the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai, where they worked with counterparts in the Australian Defence Force and personnel from other nations assisting with testing and treatment to respond to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Meet the AUS-NZ MAT team currently in 🇫🇯 to support #TeamFiji’s #COVID19 response. Some already have strong links with Fiji, and all eight are looking forward to putting in the hard yards with their Fijian counterparts to help save lives. #StrongerTogether @MOHFiji @Nadokoulu pic.twitter.com/pGNqdDkWb2

— John Feakes (@AusHCFJ) June 28, 2021

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