PNG Ebola patients could be flown to Australia

Ebola patients from Papua New Guinea could be flown to Australia for treatment, Health Minister Peter Dutton said.

Infected patients would most likely be flown to Darwin for treatment, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Dutton said that it would be a last resort because the treatment is more desirable "wherever possible" in the country of origin.

Australian Labour Party had earlier criticised the government for not doing enough to deal with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, however, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said it would be "reckless" to send health workers without a credible evacuation plan.

An infected person would not survive the 30-hour flight to Australia.

Diplomats have been seeking an agreement with counterparts in the US, Britain and Europe to take any Australians who may need to be evacuated but no nation has yet been willing to supply such a guarantee.