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Operation Pakistan Assist II draws to a close
27 October 2010

Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel prepare to load personal equipment onto pallets for shipment back to Australia.
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Operation home - Pakistan

Operation Pakistan Assist II has begun drawing down personnel and equipment from Kot Addu following the successful completion of the Australian Medical Task Force's (AMTF) medical aid mission to Pakistan. 

The Australian health facility, dubbed 'Camp Cockatoo' provided primary health care to over 11,000 flood affected people in the Kot Addu region from 2 September to 20 October.

The Pakistan floods began in July and the United Nations estimate that more than 21 million people were injured or left homeless as a result of the flooding. It's estimated that over 2000 people lost their lives.

Officer in Charge of the Camp Cockatoo health facility, Squadron Leader Andrew Pearson said that during the flood crisis the health facility was regularly seeing over 250 patients a day.

"We treated over 3,000 cases of malaria and over 300 cases of the deadly Plasmodium falciparum malaria strain," he said.

"We made a positive difference at a time when it was needed most."

The Medical Task Force was a whole-of-government approach consisting of over 180 Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Australian civilian AusAID medical and support specialists.

AusAID Team Leader, Mr Thanh Le said the successfully combination of the Defence and civilian medical teams has enabled the smooth delivery of primary health care when and where it was needed most.

"The whole of government effort to assist Pakistan has been very successful."

Commander of the Joint Task Force 636 - Wing Commander Ross Wadsworth said that whilst the medical mission may be over, there is still a lot of work to be done.

"Over the coming weeks our medical and support personnel will begin drawing down and returning to Australia," he said.

"During this period our engineers and other specialists will be working hard to dismantle Camp Cockatoo and return it to its original condition prior to our final departure."

The main contingent of medical and support personnel will return to Australia at RAAF Base Amberley on 29 October.

A small group of Defence personal will remain in Pakistan to co-ordinate the administration and final movements of equipment back to Australia.

Operation Pakistan Assist II will officially conclude on their return home in early November.