In the lead-up to the anniversary of the Bali Bombing that blasted Kuta in October 2002, healthcare workers are sharing their memories of the day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
More than 200 people, including 88 Australians, died as a result of detonation of three bombs at two busy nightspots and in front of the American Consulate.
Twenty-six hours after the bombing, military retrieval flights with patients landed in the Northern Territory, as 66 Australians were flown to Darwin for treatment in what is believed to have been the largest aero-medical evacuation since the Vietnam War.
On social media, NT health has been sharing the memories of those who worked on the frontline to help the victims.
Dr Didier Palmer, ED: 'All patients were critically injured'
Dr Didier Palmer, who was working Royal Darwin Hospital's (RDH) Emergency Department on October 12, heard the news about the deadly blasts and immediately mobilised the disaster response, enabling the team to plan and prepare.
"We cleared the ED and ICU as best we could and redesigned the rosters for the next three days, calling on almost 600 extra staff," he said.
"Often when caring for patients during a disaster, about ten to 20 per cent are very unwell and, while the rest may be injured, they're stable and able to walk.
"However, all the patients who came to RDH after the Bali Bombings were critically injured - everyone was bedbound and everyone was unwell."
Despite the challenge that faced staff at the RDH ED, Dr Palmer said the team came together to provide the urgent medical attention that was needed.
"When you walked into the ED you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was focussed just doing their job," he said.
"There was no panic and no rush, but everything was happening extremely quickly... that's what we train for in emergency care."
Looking back, Dr Palmer remembers some of the acts of kindness from the public to support the hospital staff.
"At six am one morning, someone sent us more pizza than any person, any team, could possibly eat... it was fantastic because we were starving."
Twenty years on, Dr Palmer still works at RDPH and is the Director of the Emergency and Trauma Centre.
Frances Hearne, Recovery nurse: 'You never forget'
His colleague, Frances Hearne, was working as a recovery nurse at RDH and woke to the news that there had been an explosion in Bali.
"You never forget," she said.
"I remember the first patient I got, he was an engineer who was only 30.
"When he woke from surgery he asked me what had happened; he had lost his arm.
"His wallet and phone had come through with him, and I could see all these heartbreaking messages asking where he was and if he had survived."
The nurse said the initial patients that came into RDH didn't have names, instead they were given code names and medical staff started treatment as quickly as possible.
"You just get to work and do what needs to be done," she said, remembering how the wards just filled up with more and more patients.
"There were patients everywhere, we just had to make space."
"There was a real sense of teamwork - everyone worked as one to help each other, it really was all hands on deck."
Twenty years on, the nurse says the hospital response still stays with her.
"Every time I go to talk about it, it's still very much there.
"You move on, but it's always there; you never forget."
Leanne Van Oosterwijck
Leanne Van Oosterwijck, a voice communications officer at the RDH switchboard, had the busiest days of her career playing a critical role caring for victims of the Bali Bombings.
Ms Van Oosterwijck said she and her colleagues were the first people relatives of those injured in the blasts spoke to throughout the tragedy.
"People were ringing from all over the world," she said.
"They'd give you the name of their loved one and we would check it against the list of patients who had been identified.
"If they were not on the list, sometimes they'd ask us to go have a look on the wards if as they'd seen them on TV being airlifted to the hospital.
"You could hear the heartbreak in their voice.
"It still makes me emotional talking about it... I think about all the people affected by the bombings and how they must feel, especially those who lost loved ones."
Twenty years on, Ms Van Oosterwijck clearly remembers the team efforts of the switchboard team.
"Everyone went above and beyond - that's what needed to be done, and that's just what we do."
Read More
