Whakaari eruption medical emergency 'beyond comprehension'

Whakatāne Hospital staff say nothing could prepare them for the number of patients or the severity of the injuries they received on Monday.

Health Minister David Clark visited the hospital's emergency department on Thursday for the first time since the eruption to thank staff.

The Medical leader of Whakatāne Hospital Heike Hundemer said what she faced on Monday was beyond comprehension.

Whakatāne Hospital co-ordinator David Van Dijk is a registered nurse of 22 years and has worked in hospitals across New Zealand and the UK.

He said what he experienced on Monday was devastating. Meanwhile Police Minister Stuart Nash admitted communication between the police and the victims' families could have been better.

It comes as at least one family has expressed concern at a lack of urgency in the recovery of bodies from Whakaari White Island.

Mr Nash said the police's communication with victim's families in Whakatāne is very different from their relationship with families of mosque attack victims.