Manus Island detainee Hamid Kehazaei 'delirious' by time of transfer to hospital
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Version 0 of 1. Manus Island detainee Hamid Kehazaei was “delirious” and losing lung function by the time immigration officials approved his transfer to a Port Moresby hospital where he entered the first stages of brain death, a Brisbane coroner’s court has heard. A pre-inquest hearing into the circumstances around Kehazaei’s death heard the Iranian, 24, had been treated with intravenous antibiotics for a presumed infection of a leg ulcer for two days before medical staff at the Papua New Guinea detention centre recommended his “urgent” transfer on 25 August last year. The request was not approved until the following day, when he was flown to a private hospital where he suffered multiple cardiac arrests then entered a deep coma despite receiving antibiotics, adrenaline and mechanical breathing support. Related: Hamid Kehazaei death: visa delays stalled transfer of gravely ill asylum seeker It is believed Kehazaei was brain dead by the time he was flown to Brisbane’s Mater hospital, where he was taken off life support on 5 September with the consent of his family. Kehazaei’s family have pushed for answers about his death, requesting an investigation by the Australian health watchdog and engaging a legal team led by barrister Stephen Keim to represent them at the inquest. Counsel assisting the coroner Emma Cooper said the “overarching issue” of the hearing would be “whether the authorities charged with providing for Mr Kehazaei’s physical healthcare needs adequately discharged those responsibilities with respect to the condition of his leg”. Cooper said scrutiny might extend to his transfer to the Pacific International hospital. The Manus Island medical contractor, International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) had yet to provide full disclosure of Kehazaei’s medical records, despite the coroner, Terry Ryan, requesting them days after the Iranian’s death, she said. “The response that your honour received to that was that you were provided with the record but it was filtered to provide records deemed relevant to the death. So presumably it’s not a full and complete record,” she said. Cooper said there were “discrepancies” between the information provided by IHMS, the immigration department and the Pacific International hospital. Numerous medical staff employed by IHMS had yet to provide full and adequate statements in relation to Kehazaei’s treatment before his death, she said. Lawyer Natalie Lazar for IHMS said the company’s delay in disclosure was due to it seeking legal advice about whether its staff, by giving witness statements, would be breaching “some secrecy provisions of the Border Force Act” passed by the Abbott government in March. “We have been reserving any kind of disclosure of such information until that position is a bit more confirmed,” Lazar said. “I guess, subject to any form of notice or orders being made that protect our clients that are witnesses willing to provide such information, there was just that concern since March that such information would obviously be contravention of the act.” Coroner Terry Ryan ordered IHMS to make full disclosure in October. Ryan also ordered the commonwealth to clarify whether Kehazaei was being held under the immigration laws of Australia or Papua New Guinea. Kehazaei was held in immigration detention by Australia on Christmas Island from August 2013, before being transferred to Manus Island a month later. |