What a disgrace that our health system can so neglect a young disabled boy that he has to go without basic medical needs for months due to this governments incompetence putting his life in danger. When the Disability Minister's office was contacted the caller was told "It's not his area". Surprise, surprise when we became involved now the Minister will get involved.
I do want to make it clear at no time did the caller speak directly to Minister Pitt. I welcome his involvement now. It is just a shame he had to be embarrassed into action by our involvement and the media focus. I am hopeful a permanent process can be put in place so that this never happens again. As you would expect, no comment from the Health Minister. Where's the apology from him and the review of procedures to ensure this NEVER happens again?
The full media release is below
The Queensland Party Candidate for Cairns Darren Hunt has slammed Queensland Health’s treatment of a young Far North Queensland disabled boy as an outcome of a health system in crisis the state government continues to ignore.
Mr Hunt said "The treatment of this young boy is a national disgrace. This child needed equipment associated with his catheter and colostomy bag for use three times a day. Items that needed to be replaced months ago have not. These items have not been provided to this child since March this year and his family have had to continue using the same equipment since then. That is disgraceful. It has put this child in grave risk of infection that could have had disastrous consequences."
Mr Hunt’s claims come after it was revealed that a young boy has been waiting on a chait access adapter with connection tube associated with his colostomy bag that is required to be changed every three months. The time elapsed means that this child’s equipment should have been changed three times and has not. The family are also supposed to be supplied 60ml tip syringes to prevent infection as the child’s bowels have to be manually emptied three times per day.
“This child was leading an active life, was involved in sport and was able to get around with as much movement as his disability allowed. However now his health has deteriorated to such an extent he has to use a walking frame. The family have been trying and trying to get the items they need from the Cairns Base Hospital to no avail.”
“It was not until the child’s mother broke down in tears in front of a family friend, and the family friend began raising the issue that something was started to address the problem. The family friend contacted the office of Disability Minister and Member for Mulgrave, Curtis Pitt, to be told “it’s not his area”. They did not even have the decency to take down the child’s details and follow up if the matter was resolved. The family then had to go through various other people in the health minister’s office until something was done.”
“This process has created a huge burden on the family as the boy’s mother is on a careers pension and travelling to Cairns to pick up items that should be sent direct to him, or at least to the nearby hospital, is costing them a great deal of money in fuel as well as the discomfort caused by the travel on the boy and constant delays in getting medical items that should be available to this child before it is due for replacement so delays don’t occur and increase his risk of infection.”
“To make things worse when the department was told I had become involved and was going to highlight the issue a representative contacted this child’s mother on 28/7/11 to tell her the items were now at the hospital. The child’s mother informed them she had a friend at the hospital that would come and collect it straight away that saw this representative back peddling big time. The items were not there and they were deliberately misleading this woman to try and fob her off so she wouldn’t go to the media.”
“This is yet another example of how our most vulnerable in the community are getting neglected by a government with no focus. This government simply doesn’t give a stuff about Far North Queensland. Look at the obscene amount of money being spent to recover staff overpayments as a result of their $350million payroll system debacle and you can see why patients can’t even be provided with basic medical items to save their lives because of this government’s continued waste.
Mr Hunt stated“ This government should hang their heads in shame and they owe this child a huge apology for allowing such a disgrace to occur. The Minister should jump in his tax payer funded vehicle and deliver these items to this child’s house personally along with a great big apology for such a disgraceful situation occurring.”
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