Ebola crisis: Australia won’t send doctors into harm’s way, says Abbott

UK Gaurdian ^ | 10-12-2014 | Micheal Safi

[tcrlaf]

The Australian government will not send doctors or nurses to west Africa to help contain the Ebola crisis until it is certain “all of the risks are being properly managed”, the prime minister, Tony Abbott, has said.

SNIP---- International health organisations such as Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) have criticised the Abbott government’s “underwhelming” response to the outbreak, which has included cash grants to MSF, the World Health Organisation and British front line efforts in Sierra Leone – but no Australian medical personnel.

SNIP---

But Abbott said on Sunday that the latest death toll would not change the government’s view on sending Australian health workers.

“We aren’t going to send Australian doctors and nurses into harm’s way without being absolutely confident that all of the risks are being properly managed. And at the moment we cannot be confident that that is the case,” the prime minister said.

Abbott said he “admired the selfless humanitarianism” of the dozens of Australian doctors and nurses currently working in west Africa with non-government organisations. But there was “a world of difference” between that and “ordering Australian personnel to go into a situation without the kind of risk minimisation strategies that any responsible Australian government would have to put it place”.

[tcrlaf]

Australia is refusing to send its people in to the Hot Zone unless they can be assured of their safety.

SO MUCH DIFFERENT than what Obama is doing....

[ansel12]

What you posted isn’t what they are saying.

What they want is reassurance that treatment and transportation will be available if they are infected.

“I do not have in place a guarantee that should an Australian health worker – sent there by the Australian government – contract Ebola, they would be able to be transported or treated in a hospital either in the region or in Europe,” she told reporters in Launceston on Saturday. “And until I have that in place we will not be sending Australian health workers.”

[silverleaf]

apparently this is a government that still values the lives of its own citizens

[Chgogal]

A country whose leader practices COMMONSENSE!

[BobL]

“But there was “a world of difference” between that and “ordering Australian personnel to go into a situation without the kind of risk minimisation strategies that any responsible Australian government would have to put it place”.”

Sounds like a SLAM at our president. I love it!