The government of Australia has been embarrassed over its $7 million response to the Ebola virus with an international medical group rejecting the money and demanding Australian doctors be sent to Africa instead.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) executive director Paul McPhun has told news agencies he won’t accept the $2.5 million Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced would go to his group.
“We have made clear we are not in a position to take the money,” he said.
“We have been very clear with the government for two weeks now we are not asking for financial support, we are asking the government to evaluate Australia’s emergency medical capacity and mobilise it on the ground in West Africa.”
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the government had made the offer of the $2.5 million to the international arm of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Geneva on Tuesday and the head of that organisation Dr Joanne Liu, had accepted the offer.
“If the Australian arm won’t accept it we’ll donate it to other organisations with frontline services fighting Ebola,” she said.
Ms Bishop said the national security committee of cabinet had considered at length the option of sending Australian troops and doctors to West Africa to help control Ebola.
However, she said the government had been advised it would be impossible to evacuate any Australians who contracted the virus back to Australia in time for treatment.
“It would be negligent of the government to go against that advice, she said. The United States had the capacity to treat any of its infected workers on site in West Africa in hospitals on board aircraft, an option not available to Australia, she said.
Medecins Sans Frontieres had been advised of this problem, she said, adding: “The Commonwealth understands the natural wish to do more to assist but the best advice we have is to make a financial contribution.”
US President Barack Obama has committed 3,000 troops to combat Ebola and will set up 17 field hospitals with 100 beds each. He has declared the Ebola virus a global security threat as the number of cases nears 5,000 with almost 3,000 people killed, more than all previous outbreaks combined. Experts are predicting as many as 250,000 people could contract the virus which is now out of control.
Mr McPhun said there were already 12 Australian doctors working to fight Ebola in West Africa with Medecins Sans Frontieres and more were needed.
“We are turning away patients on a daily basis, we are dealing with massive numbers of bodies that need to be buried,” Paul McPhun said.
Australians politicians were taking a purely political position by protecting Australia’s borders rather than putting resources into fighting the virus on the ground in Africa, he said, adding: “It’s like sticking your head in the sand, the problem is only going to get bigger.”
The Australian Medical Association has been calling for Australia to send its own troops to West Africa and Australian Medical Assistance Teams (AUSMAT).
“The AMA is calling on the Government to urgently coordinate the recruitment and deployment of volunteer doctors and other health professionals to West Africa, and provide ongoing practical support such as protective and medical equipment and supplies, transport and accommodation,” AMA president Professor Brian Owler said.
A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the Australian Government had negotiated the $2.5 million donation with Medecins Sans Frontieres International, not the Australian branch of the organisation.
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) consolidated regional response to Ebola will get $2.5 million from the Australian Government.
An additional $2 million will be provided to the United Kingdom to support their delivery of frontline medical services in Sierra Leone.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the Ebola outbreak as a “very serious health situation”.
“It certainly is a crisis, there is no doubt it is a crisis,” he said.
If the infection rate of the Ebola virus in West Africa continued to rise Mr Abbott says Australia could give more money.
“We are monitoring the situation in conjunction with international bodies such as the World Health Organisation. If it gets worse we will commit more money,” he said, adding: “That is what you’d expect from a country such as Australia which always wants to be the best global citizen.”
Health Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement the health systems in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are under severe strain, and the United Nations assesses that these countries are facing a humanitarian emergency.
It is understood the World Health Organisation contacted senior Australian government members last week asking for an increase in involvement.
Australia has already contributed $1 million to the World Health Organisation to help combat the virus but with more than 5,000 people now infected US President Obama says the world needs to do more.
President Obama has declared the Ebola virus an “epidemic the likes that we have not seen before” and says if it is not controlled it could threaten global security.
American troops will build 17 treatment centres with 100 beds each in West Africa to provide treatment for the growing number of victims.
Mr Obama has called on the global community to help contain the spread of the virus.
