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| Hamid Kehazaei dies after family give permission to switch off life support | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Iranian asylum seeker transferred to a Brisbane hospital after contracting septicaemia has died after his life support machine was switched off. | |
| The family of Hamid Kehazaei, who had been held on Manus Island, gave doctors permission to switch off his life support machine earlier on Friday. | |
| The immigration minister, Scott Morrison, released a statement late on Friday and offered his condolences. | |
| “I am very saddened by this man’s passing and on behalf of the Australian government I extend our deepest sympathy to the man’s family and friends. My department has and will continue to provide support to the family and has been in contact with family members during the course of the man’s treatment,” he said. | |
| Morrison also said the department’s chief medical officer would be conducting an “in-depth clinical review” on the background of his medical treatment while on Manus Island. | |
| “I have instructed the department to make the necessary arrangements to facilitate the repatriation of the body of the deceased man to his family in Iran should this be requested,” he said. | |
| “The department will consider what additional appropriate assistance it can reasonably provide to the family, should this be required. | |
| The family earlier told Guardian Australia from Tehran it was likely Kehazaei’s life support would be switched off on Friday evening. | |
| Kehazaei’s brother Mehei confirmed to Guardian Australia that the family had given permission for Hamid’s organs to be donated in Australia. The family have requested the hospital take a photograph of the 24-year-old once he is taken off life support and have made clear their desire for his body to be sent back to Iran. | Kehazaei’s brother Mehei confirmed to Guardian Australia that the family had given permission for Hamid’s organs to be donated in Australia. The family have requested the hospital take a photograph of the 24-year-old once he is taken off life support and have made clear their desire for his body to be sent back to Iran. |
| Kehazaei’s grief-stricken mother, Goldone, said through tears: “I want to donate his organs and I’m worried his heart will fail as well if we keep waiting.” | Kehazaei’s grief-stricken mother, Goldone, said through tears: “I want to donate his organs and I’m worried his heart will fail as well if we keep waiting.” |
| She said the family was “furious” with the Australian government. “No one cared for my child. He was neglected – he kept saying his legs were hurting, and no one did a thing, they let him suffer.” | She said the family was “furious” with the Australian government. “No one cared for my child. He was neglected – he kept saying his legs were hurting, and no one did a thing, they let him suffer.” |
| Mehei later said his mother was so distraught she was receiving medical attention in a Tehran hospital. | Mehei later said his mother was so distraught she was receiving medical attention in a Tehran hospital. |
| Kehazaei is the second asylum seeker on Manus to die in the past seven months after 24-year-old Iranian Reza Barati was murdered during violent unrest in February. No asylum seekers on Manus have been resettled since the previous government announced the so-called “PNG solution” in July last year. | Kehazaei is the second asylum seeker on Manus to die in the past seven months after 24-year-old Iranian Reza Barati was murdered during violent unrest in February. No asylum seekers on Manus have been resettled since the previous government announced the so-called “PNG solution” in July last year. |
| Kehazaei contracted septicaemia from a cellulitis infection on Manus and was flown to hospital in Brisbane. It is understood there were delays in his care. | Kehazaei contracted septicaemia from a cellulitis infection on Manus and was flown to hospital in Brisbane. It is understood there were delays in his care. |
| On Friday the immigration minister, Scott Morrison, denied there had been any such delays and described the care provided to asylum seekers on Manus as “outstanding”. | On Friday the immigration minister, Scott Morrison, denied there had been any such delays and described the care provided to asylum seekers on Manus as “outstanding”. |
| “When someone becomes ill they receive outstanding care from the people who work as part of our mainland detention network, and in the offshore processing centres that are under the management of the governments of Papua New Guinea and Nauru,” Morrison said in response to a question about the standard of Kehazaei’s care. | “When someone becomes ill they receive outstanding care from the people who work as part of our mainland detention network, and in the offshore processing centres that are under the management of the governments of Papua New Guinea and Nauru,” Morrison said in response to a question about the standard of Kehazaei’s care. |
| But numerous whistleblowers and independent accounts of healthcare in Australia’s offshore detention centre contradict this description. | But numerous whistleblowers and independent accounts of healthcare in Australia’s offshore detention centre contradict this description. |
| A 92-page letter of concern written by doctors on Christmas Island last December described “numerous unsafe practices and gross departures from generally accepted medical standards which have posed significant risk to patients and caused considerable harm”. | A 92-page letter of concern written by doctors on Christmas Island last December described “numerous unsafe practices and gross departures from generally accepted medical standards which have posed significant risk to patients and caused considerable harm”. |
| A leaked, independent assessment of healthcare on Nauru revealed the desperate state of health care for asylum seeker children and families detained on the island. | A leaked, independent assessment of healthcare on Nauru revealed the desperate state of health care for asylum seeker children and families detained on the island. |
| Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Kehazaei’s case was representative of the healthcare problems on Manus and renewed calls for its closure. | Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Kehazaei’s case was representative of the healthcare problems on Manus and renewed calls for its closure. |
| “Hamid should never have been put in harm’s way like this and there now needs to be a thorough, independent medical examination of the Manus Island detention camp,” Hanson-Young said. | “Hamid should never have been put in harm’s way like this and there now needs to be a thorough, independent medical examination of the Manus Island detention camp,” Hanson-Young said. |
| “Scott Morrison says Hamid received ‘outstanding’ care on Manus Island. Well, if ‘outstanding’ care on Manus Island sees someone die because of a cut foot, it needs to be shut down. | “Scott Morrison says Hamid received ‘outstanding’ care on Manus Island. Well, if ‘outstanding’ care on Manus Island sees someone die because of a cut foot, it needs to be shut down. |
| “Hamid is the second victim of the Manus Island detention camp and it must be closed immediately.” | “Hamid is the second victim of the Manus Island detention camp and it must be closed immediately.” |