Our People in NSW
Elena In Sumatra Rescue - Elena Rowland
Moree’s Elena Rowland is now working in a place she hadn’t even heard of three weeks ago.
Elena, now a private in the Army, has specialised as a dental technician with the Sydney-based 1st Health Support Battalion. But her experience in humanitarian missions is now worth its weight in gold on the hillsides of earthquake-shattered Sumatra.
Based at Sungai Geringging, a remote village 75kms from Padang, Elena is protecting Army medics from environmental hazards such as malaria and dengue fever while they provide medical aid to the locals.
“As a team of environmental health controllers, we are managing the hazards of working in a tropical environment,” Elena said.
“We are using anti-malaria tablets as well as providing barrier protection from mosquitoes.”
When her regular duties allow, she is also helping the medical staff treat patients by taking blood pressures and other general observations when needed.
Her experience with humanitarian aid missions began in Banda Aceh following the 2005 Tsunami, but each deployment is different.
“The tsunami was very different to this deployment, there is more property damage here but the human injury rate is much lower,” Elena said.
“ In Banda Aceh, it was the complete opposite.
“At first the locals were a bit apprehensive to approach us when we arrived but they are so friendly and grateful for what we are doing now.
“It’s very rewarding seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces; the local kids are very inquisitive and we get to play soccer with them after the centre closes each day.”
Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen are working day and night to provide health care, purified water, and to deliver aid supplies to the people of Padang and the surrounding areas of West Sumatra in the wake of the devastating earthquakes that recently rocked the Indonesian province on September 30.