A registrar from the burns unit at Royal Perth Hospital happened to be holidaying in Bali on the day of the first bombing in October 2002.
He phoned in with the news that reached skin burns specialist Dr Fiona Wood.
“From that moment, we had a clear understanding of the extent of the problem by somebody who has a lot of insight and knowledge with respect to burns injuries,” she said.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The following day, the first patients started arriving on a transport plane.
Dr Wood led a team that treated 11 patients who came directly from Bali and another 17 victims who came via Darwin, 28 burns patients in total.
But what exactly does it mean to have burns to 92 per cent of your body?
Listen (above) to Dr Fiona Wood talk about treating skin burns, how Bali changed the way they are treated and how the bombing survivors have returned to the skin unit at Royal Perth to share their extraordinary experiences to other burns victims.
Listen to the interview on YouTube:
