Winmalee resident Dwight Robinson was awarded a humanitarian overseas service medal by the Australian Government in 2014 in recognition of his humanitarian work following the 2009 earthquake and tsunami in Samoa.
Mr Robinson, the Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital acting patient flow nurse manager, was included in a NSW Health deployment of paramedics, doctors and nurses to Samoa following a magnitude 8.3 earthquake which struck on September 29, 2009. The powerful quake generated a tsunami which caused significant damage and loss of life in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.
At the time of the quake, Mr Robinson was working as a clinical nurse consultant at Nepean Hospital's emergency department. With his emergency department experience and an interest in disaster medicine, Mr Robinson said being part of the international disaster response was an easy decision to make.
He arrived in the disaster zone within 48 hours of the tsunami having struck Samoa and described the initial scene as confronting.
"When we arrived there was no water, no electricity and bodies were being retrieved. Three medical teams were deployed to the disaster zone - a surgical team, public health team and a field team which I worked in for 10 days," he said.
"The field team supported the existing health infrastructure by working out of existing clinics and in a mobile clinic to triage and provide health assessments or public health advice wherever necessary."
When compared with the day-to-day activities in an emergency department or intensive care unit, Mr Robinson said his humanitarian role was mentally and emotionally draining but also extremely professionally and personally rewarding.
"I would do it again if asked. It was a good feeling to be part of a rapid response team. From our base in the Australian consulate you could see aid and equipment arriving from Australia and being rapidly distributed. It was good to be a part of helping the locals get back on their feet."
Mr Robinson said it's the quiet moments from his time in Samoa that have stayed with him the most - speaking to a woman who was attending a week of funerals or spending time with the local driver who transported him through the disaster zone.
"He invited me to church and to lunch with his family. They lived on the side of the island untouched by the tsunami but talking to them gave me a good sense of how the disaster had impacted the whole country. It also gave me an understanding of what it meant to the people of Samoa for us to be there helping with the recovery."
Mr Robinson was presented with the medal at a NSW Ambulance 'Thank a Paramedic Day' ceremony.
"I was quite shocked to have received the medal. It was most unexpected but I was also pleasantly surprised. It was really nice to share the occasion with my family and also great to catch up with other members of the team who had worked in Samoa," he said.
