The Royal Flying Doctor Service could be used to evacuate coronavirus-infected Australians from remote communities during the pandemic.
The Morrison government will inject $53 million into the national service allowing it to airlift suspected and confirmed virus patients from regional areas.
It will also help deliver personal protective equipment for frontline medical staff and fly-in GP clinics for testing if there is a broader outbreak.
Regional Health Minister Mark Council said the package would boost the RFDS evacuation capacity in rural areas by up to 50 per cent.
"It will give an area of comfort and assurance to the people in the more remote parts of Australia that should an outbreak occur in their communities, there is assets available to help them at their time of need," he told reporters in Dubbo today.
RFDS federation executive director Frank Quinlan, who heads the group's national operations, said the service was committed to responding to the pandemic with all necessary support.
"This funding will assist us in our preparedness. It gives country Australians confidence and assurance that they are cared for through this pandemic - and the RFDS is ready," he said.
The package also includes funding for CareFlight and other state and territory aero-medical departments to enable more evacuations.
The funding follows the $6.6 million commitment from Western Australia's resources sector to the RFDS Western Operations, as announced by the Chamber of Minerals earlier this month, and $6 million donated by Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting last week to RFDS nationally.
The package also follows a $15 million backing from Rio Tinto to RFDS Western Operations to purchase a new RFDS jet, as apart of a six-year partnership extension between the two organisations.
By AAP and Business News
