‘This system failed’: Cash to end rheumatic heart disease deaths

A disease eradicated from cities decades ago is still killing remote Indigenous people at a third-world rate. In an emotional address Qld’s Health Minister has outlined a plan to end the preventable illness.

IN an emotional address Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has conceded the state has failed remote Indigenous children suffering from rheumatic heart disease.

At the delayed launch of a $7.38m investment to end the preventable disease on Wednesday Ms D’Ath responded to the deaths of Adele Sandy, Betty Booth, and Shayaka George, who were turned away from the Doomadgee health centre before dying of rheumatic heart disease.

“We failed these kids, the system, the whole system,” she said.

“I’m not going to criticise the health workers at Doomadgee. They do an incredibly hard job. But this system failed.”

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath at the launch of a $7.38m strategy to tackle rheumatic heart disease. Picture: Peter Carruthers

Statewide, $4.5m will be spent during a three-year period and 10 northern Queensland communities most severely impacted will receive $2.88m for “specific actions.”

“I want to make sure (funding) is actually delivering services,” she said.

“We need First Nations health workers on the ground, going into these communities, educating the communities.”

Minister D’Ath stopped short of guaranteeing patients presenting to remote health centres with rheumatic heart disease symptoms would receive vital signs observations.

Mother of an 11-year-old rheumatic heart disease suffer Lynette Bullio at the announcement of a strategy to end the preventable disease. Ms Bullio is pictured here with Cairns and Hinterland Health Service cardiologist, Dr Ben Reeves. Picture: Peter Carruthers

Cairns mum Lynette Bullio has an 11-year-old son that has needed painful penicillin injections after being diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease aged seven.

“It’s like you’ve been hit by a truck and you don’t know what to do. It turns your world upside down,” she said.

“It does make me angry. But moving forward, we got to try and eradicate this disease that shouldn’t be happening.”

Originally published as ‘This system failed’: Cash to end rheumatic heart disease deaths