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| Asylum seeker who suffered heart attack on Manus to be taken to Australia | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A 38-year-old Iranian asylum seeker has had a heart attack in Manus Island detention centre while playing football will be transferred from Manus Island to a Brisbane hospital on Wednesday morning. | |
| According to Sally Thompson from the Refugee Rights Action Network in Perth, detainees from Mike and Oscar compounds had been playing football on Tuesday afternoon when the Iranian suddenly dropped to the floor. | |
| Related: Government defends healthcare on Manus as sick refugees 'too scared to leave' | Related: Government defends healthcare on Manus as sick refugees 'too scared to leave' |
| “He evidently had a heart attack, stopped breathing and died,” Thompson said. | “He evidently had a heart attack, stopped breathing and died,” Thompson said. |
| “He had to be revived. They had to shock him three times and he’s now in the medical centre at Manus. He’s been in detention since at least August 2013 and we don’t know what the level of care he is currently receiving there is because of security at the medical centre.” | “He had to be revived. They had to shock him three times and he’s now in the medical centre at Manus. He’s been in detention since at least August 2013 and we don’t know what the level of care he is currently receiving there is because of security at the medical centre.” |
| Thompson said she had spoken to several detainees who had witnessed the incident and said “they were all very frightened”. According to the Refugee Action Coalition, a Wilson security guard gave the man CPR until a defibrillator arrived, an action which saved his life. | |
| In 2014 another Iranian asylum seeker, Hamid Kehazaei, 24, died in a Brisbane hospital after being belatedly transferred from Manus with septicaemia three weeks after he suffered a serious cut to his foot. Kehazaei eventually suffered a heart attack and his life support was switched off after he was declared brain dead. | In 2014 another Iranian asylum seeker, Hamid Kehazaei, 24, died in a Brisbane hospital after being belatedly transferred from Manus with septicaemia three weeks after he suffered a serious cut to his foot. Kehazaei eventually suffered a heart attack and his life support was switched off after he was declared brain dead. |
| “We hope would be that the immigration minister wouldn’t waste any time this time around and allow someone else to die on his watch,” Thompson said. | “We hope would be that the immigration minister wouldn’t waste any time this time around and allow someone else to die on his watch,” Thompson said. |
| “If more care is needed than can be provided in this unit on Manus then it would be a tragedy to delay his medical care. The process needs to begin without delay because getting the right documentation in order to send asylum seekers to the mainland for medical treatment is often a lengthy process.” | “If more care is needed than can be provided in this unit on Manus then it would be a tragedy to delay his medical care. The process needs to begin without delay because getting the right documentation in order to send asylum seekers to the mainland for medical treatment is often a lengthy process.” |
| A detainee on Manus said that doctors on the island had confirmed the man had suffered from a heart attack. He said specialist doctors from Brisbane were giving instructions to the doctors at the detention centre. | A detainee on Manus said that doctors on the island had confirmed the man had suffered from a heart attack. He said specialist doctors from Brisbane were giving instructions to the doctors at the detention centre. |
| “They still don’t know the reason [for his heart attack],” he said. “He reacts when they say ‘Move your fingers’ but he can’t talk yet.” He said doctors were doing their best to treat the man and were awaiting permission to send him to Australia. | “They still don’t know the reason [for his heart attack],” he said. “He reacts when they say ‘Move your fingers’ but he can’t talk yet.” He said doctors were doing their best to treat the man and were awaiting permission to send him to Australia. |
| Guardian Australia has contacted the officer of the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, for comment. | Guardian Australia has contacted the officer of the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, for comment. |
| A spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, Ian Rintoul, said the man had been infected with malaria and in June suffered a severe malaria attack that required him to be transferred to Port Morseby hospital for treatment. | |
| He is the second asylum seeker in four weeks to be transferred from Manus Island because of heart problems, Rintoul said.“The sooner Manus Island is closed, the better,” he said. | |
| “The emergency only highlights the appalling injustice inflicted on asylum seekers sent to Manus Island who have held in shocking conditions for more than twoand half years.” | |
| Rintoul said he had received reports that the man was being prepared to be flown to Brisbane at 8.30am Wednesday Papua New Guinea time. |