By Pte John Wellfare
HIGH-readiness medical staff from 1HSB treated more than 300 patients while deployed to Niue recently as part of a combined Australian, French and New Zealand relief effort.

Cyclone Heta struck the pacific island in early January, destroying a number of buildings, including the island's only hospital.

CO 1HSB Lt-Col Len Brennan said the 17-person team was designed to treat both injuries resulting from the cyclone and provide health care in the absence of a hospital.

"The team consists of a primary health care resuscitation team and they can basically provide outpatient care to anyone and have the ability to respond to an emergency," he said.

"We have a medium-density ward, which can hold up to 10 patients comfortably and we deployed an environmental health section."

Lt-Col Brennan said in addition to primary medical treatment it was important to respond to the follow-on affects of the destruction of infrastructure.

"For the first 24-to-48 hours we don't have any grave concerns, but after that we supply decontaminated food supplies and work to prevent any outbreak of disease, either waterborne or foodborne."

The team were first notified of their deployment less than 24 hours before taking off from RAAF Richmond.

While a number of Niue's older buildings were destroyed, many of the modern, hurricane-proof houses built after previous cyclones survived intact.

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