‘Waste my time’: Parents of other patients slam ‘dismissive’ care at Riverland hospital that sent sick boy, 6, home before his death

The State Coroner has launched an investigation into the death of a six-year-old boy after he was discharged from a Riverland hospital.

The State Coroner is investigating why Riverland General Hospital ruled the six year-old boy was well enough to return to his Berri home with influenza days before his death.

It comes as mothers of two other sick kids have criticised the poor medical care their children received from an embattled Riverland hospital that treated a boy with flu before he then died.

As SA Health chiefs expressed their sorrow to the boy’s devastated family, two more families have spoken out at claims of “dismissive” medical treatment at the Riverland’s main hospital.

Jos Kelly, 44, of Kingston-On-Murray, has formally complained to hospital chiefs about a particular staff member after her “severely ill” son Lewis, also six, was sent home twice in three weeks but has yet to receive any reply.

After complaining of symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and serious abdominal pains, he was last month found with a ruptured appendix that required emergency surgery.

But she wept as she told how she also avoided the Berri-based hospital because she “didn’t want to waste my time” before making a 215km mercy dash to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide.

The family of six-year-old Lewis made a mercy dash to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide. Picture: Supplied by family

Lewis during his time at the WCH. Picture: Supplied by family

The boy, who is now recovering, needed another operation as his condition failed to improve.

“It has been traumatic to see my son in so much pain, he’s been through so much,” she said.

Ms Kelly, a mother-of-two, wanted to stress how she was “very grateful for all the wonderful doctors and nurses that helped my son” but is concerned at poor follow up processes.

Mother-of-three Natalie Kartinyeri, 50, now of Murray Bridge, told how her teenage daughter was sent home in December 2021 despite “being old enough to explain her pain” and having no blood tests or scans.

The girl, then 17, was later found with a rare retropharyngeal abscess, which is a complication of a throat infection.

“Obviously nothing has changed,” said her mother, formerly of Barmera.

After complaining, hospital chiefs apologised “if our service possibly delayed the diagnosis of what is a serious illness”.

Premier Peter Malinauskas described the flu death case as “heartbreaking” but said an appropriate coronial investigation was establishing the circumstances.

In a statement late on Sunday, a Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network spokeswoman defended the hospital’s conditions.

She said executives were “aware of both of these complaints and have investigated them”.

“We have provided feedback on the outcome of one of the investigations, and are finalising the investigation on the other case and will provide feedback to the family as soon as possible,” she said.

“We take any complaints or concerns about our service very seriously and those raised with us will be thoroughly investigated to ensure we can improve our service where necessary.”

She said it had access to support services such as MEDstar emergency medical retrieval teams if needed for pediatric patients.

“The Riverland General Hospital … Emergency Department is staffed by highly trained physicians including emergency physicians and rural generalists, who are highly skilled and qualified to care for a wide range of acute presentations, including children,” she said.

“The RGH has sufficient staff to provide the 24/7 emergency department service to the community.”

Speaking about the suspected flu death, she again publicly expressed “our deepest condolences to the family for the loss of their child”.

“The matter is with the Coroner who will do a thorough investigation of the circumstances that led to the child’s death,” she added.

Relatives and friends are comforting the family, who have declined to speak publicly.