BALI BOMBING - 20 years on: 'Treating the survivors changed my life'

When a terrorist attack left Aussies with horrific burns, award-winning surgeon Fiona Wood stepped in

-  SUE WILLIAMS

Fiona Wood, 64, Perth, WA

As horrifying images filled the TV screen, I stared in disbelief.

It was October 12, 2002, and terrorists had detonated three bombs at busy night-life spots in Bali, killing hundreds.

Among them were 88 Australians.

My heart broke for the victims of what became known as the Bali Bombings, but I knew I had to swing into action.

As the head of the burns unit at Royal Perth Hospital, it'd be my job to make sure the majority of Australian survivors received the best possible treatment.

As my team prepped the hospital to receive patients being airlifted from Bali, I saw one of the injured, Peter Hughes, giving an interview on TV.

'I have burns to 50 per cent of my body but there are people here worse off than me,' he said humbly from a Balinese hospital.

But I knew if they didn't get him out soon, he wouldn't be okay.

He'd be dead.

'You need to get him here for treatment,' I told Federal Government reps.

That's because, at first, burns victims can be quite coherent and upbeat as their nerve endings are burnt, so they're not in as much pain as they should be.

All too often, I see people underplaying their injuries because they just don't realise how serious their burns are.

They've lost the layers of their skin, so fluid leaks out and infection seeps in.

At the same time, their organs are collapsing and they can lose the ability to breathe.

Looking at Peter, with his face swollen and blackened, I could see he was actually dying right before my eyes.