‘A national disgrace’: Inquest hears of ongoing RHD prevention failure
A cardiologist at a coronial inquest has labelled a Queensland track record on preventing rheumatic heart disease deaths a “national disgrace” amid ongoing funding deficiencies, despite investment to stamp out the preventable disease.
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A LEADING cardiologist at a coronial inquest has labelled a Queensland track record on preventing rheumatic heart disease deaths a “national disgrace” amid ongoing funding deficiencies, despite investment to stamp out the preventable disease.
Dr Ben Reeves presented a damning assessment of the state’s management of remote Indigenous RHD sufferers at a coronial investigation into the deaths of Doomadgee residents 18-year-old Betty, 37-year-old Ms Sandy, and 17-year-old Kaya.
During the third day of the Cairns hearings on Wednesday Northern Coroner Nerida Wilson heard evidence from Dr Reeves, registered nurse Nazihah Asgar and Dr Benjamin Anderson.
The paediatric cardiologist was quizzed about Kaya, who he first treated in 2016, and more broadly about communication between health providers.
Dr Reeves also offered expert opinion about how to curb RHD death rates stated to be among the highest in the world.
In June 2020 an unwell Kayla was taken to a clinic in Doomadgee after being released from Alice Springs Hospital.
She was flown to Townsville for treatment and then transferred to Brisbane after eight days where she underwent several surgeries but never recovered.
“Eight days does seem like a long time to wait,” Dr Reeves said.
Dr Reeves said there was a need to approach donors to finance remote RHD screening clinics and funding requests to treat or identify RHD had been denied by Queensland Health.
“It’s something that we are passionate about, but we don’t get full support or funding,” he said.
“We fund our own travel and accommodation. We use equipment and staff from Queensland Health but also from many other jurisdictions from Aboriginal controlled medical services from interstate.”
Ms Wilson asked Dr Reeves about the Ending Rheumatic Heart Disease: Queensland First Nations Strategy 2021-2024 he helped author.
The $7.38m strategy was launched by Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath in April.
“I have seen definite attempts to implement that strategy. What we’re not seeing, however, is investment in frontline health services that will actually allow a proper implementation of those basic sort of tenets of the strategy,” he said.
“I see a massive room for improvement in what is an entirely preventable disease that is still causing the deaths of young people and young Indigenous people.
“These three deaths in children, young people from Doomadgee is obviously a tragedy but we are seeing this throughout northern Australia and northern Queensland in particular.
“We see unnecessary deaths, unnecessary cardiac surgeries. We see the patients and their families really suffering from this disease.
“And it’s a disease that was eradicated in white Australia in the 50s and 60s. So it’s a national disgrace that it’s still occurring in our communities.”
Dr Reeves stated further investment in administration staff was needed in combination with Indigenous health workers to assist culturally and interpret medical jargon.
The inquest resumes on Thursday.
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Originally published as ‘A national disgrace’: Inquest hears of ongoing RHD prevention failure
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