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Australian doctors in Bali: the initial medical response to the Bali bombing

Graeme J Southwick, Anthony J Pethick, Priya Thalayasingam, Vijith S Vijayasekaran and John HW Hogg
Med J Aust 2002; 177 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04987.x
Published online: 9 December 2002

Several Australian medical practitioners were holidaying in Bali at the time of the nightclub bombing on 12 October 2002. On learning of the disaster, they went to Sanglah Hospital to assist. With the very limited resources of the hospital, they helped in providing emergency treatment, stabilising patients, and preparing Australian patients for evacuation. (MJA 2002; 177: 624-626)

Bali is a common holiday destination for Australians — within easy reach, with a wonderful climate, a range of costs to suit all budgets, and friendly Balinese people. So it was that some medical practitioners from Australia happened to be in Bali near Kuta on the evening of 12 October 2002 when bombs exploded in a local nightclub, killing more than 100 people and injuring many more. On Sunday morning, we made our way to Sanglah Hospital to help the injured (Box).


  • 1 Melbourne Institute of Plastic Surgery, Melbourne, VIC.
  • 2 Perth Medical Centre, Perth, WA.
  • 3 Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA.
  • 4 332 Crown Street, Wollongong, NSW.


Correspondence: graemes@melbplastsurg.com

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