Burdekin MP Dale Last calls for ‘urgent investigation’ into Moranbah Hospital after hearing residents’ harrowing experiences

Calls are mounting for an investigation into a Central Queensland hospital, after a woman with stroke symptoms claimed to have presented to hospital three times before getting treatment, and another said lost her baby at home alone after a misdiagnosis. WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT.

Alone in her bathroom at home, a woman tragically lost her baby after, she says, a miscarriage was mistaken for kidney stones at her local hospital and she was sent home.

The Moranbah woman said she “felt neglected”.

Another woman claims to have presented to Moranbah Hospital hospital three times with stroke symptoms before being taken seriously, and is now at hospital in Townsville for testing and monitoring.

The women are just two of many people who have come forward to describe similar poor experiences at Moranbah Hospital, resulting in Burdekin MP Dale Last calling for an “urgent investigation” into the allegations.

The names below have been changed as those who told their stories wished to remain anonymous.

‘I was left feeling confused and in pain’

Sarah, 24, said that on two occasions she received inadequate care and “felt neglected” at Moranbah Hospital.

In the first case, she presented with severe abdominal pain and blood in her urine.

She was asked for a urine sample and given ibuprofen before being sent home.

“I was never told when I would receive my results or what it could possibly be, so I was left feeling confused and in pain and like I had not received adequate care or information,” Sarah said.

“I fortunately was able to get into Mackay the next day where an ultrasound showed I had a kidney stone that was stuck and wasn’t going to pass on its own.”

In another instance within the same year, Sarah went to the emergency department complaining of abnormal bleeding and pelvic cramps.

She was told it was probably another kidney stone, despite informing staff she was pregnant and fearful it could be a miscarriage.

“I asked for an ultrasound to check if there was actually a stone to see if that was what was actually causing the problem or if it was a miscarriage, as I had suspected,” she said.

“I was told it was too late to call in the ultrasound technician and was sent home and told to go in to Mackay if I wanted additional testing done.”

But a medical condition prevented Sarah from driving, and her partner was away at work.

She had a miscarriage alone in her bathroom and was driven to Mackay the next day for confirmation.

“I also developed pelvic inflammatory disease which has caused ongoing complications, which my doctor suspects was from being unaware of proper hygiene and practices during my miscarriage,” she claimed.

“This disease now makes it difficult for me to conceive, causes immense pain with any sort of intercourse or use of feminine hygiene products, and makes my periods so horribly painful that I am on medication to purposely disrupt my cycle and reduce their frequency as they are debilitating when they do occur because of the disease.

SANDS is an independent organisation that provides support for miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death. You can call them on 1300 072 637 or visit www.sands.org.au.

Stroke symptoms ignored during three hospital visits

Jane has a history of migraines and a heart condition.

At 3.30am on the last Friday of August she was taken to Moranbah Hospital suffering from a severe migraine, vomiting, blurred vision, and vertigo.

Pain made it impossible for her to speak.

At 4.30am, she was discharged, but just 12 hours later, she found herself back at the hospital with the left side of her face drooping.

Despite the fact Jane was walking into walls, she was sent home.

On Sunday, she waited five hours in the consult room before being referred for a CAT scan, which was booked at Outback Medical Imaging, a lab in Moranbah, for Monday morning.

Jane’s son wheeled her out of the hospital in a wheelchair and took her for the scan, which determined she had suffered a stroke.

At 12.30pm, Moranbah Hospital told her they were organising a flight to Mackay Base Hospital through the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

After at least six hours of waiting, no plane ever arrived.

An ambulance eventually drove Jane to Mackay, where she learnt she’d had two embolic strokes in the back her of her brain.

On Wednesday, September 1, she was flown to Townsville University Hospital for further testing.

Member for Burdekin Dale Last. Picture: Dan Peled

Call for ‘urgent investigation’ into allegations

Member for Burdekin Dale Last said an “urgent investigation” into health care at Moranbah Hospital was the “only option” after hearing such allegations.

He said the investigation needed to look into all aspects of the standard of care at the hospital and that the government should then fast-track any ensuing recommendations.

“I make no claims to be a medical professional, but there are serious allegations that have been made by a medical professional and those allegations must be fully investigated,” Mr Last said.

“The allegations that have been made relate to a Moranbah resident who, if the allegations are proven correct, may not have received the standard of healthcare Queenslanders deserve.

“If it is true that a patient presented three times at the hospital with stroke symptoms before it was properly investigated, that is simply not good enough.”

Mackay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Lisa Davies Jones said that there were no treatment delays caused by staff or equipment shortages at Moranbah Hospital.

“We are unable to comment on individual patients due to privacy considerations,” she said.

“If anyone has concerns with the care they receive in any of our facilities, they are encouraged to contact the health service directly and provide formal feedback so their concerns can be investigated and addressed.”

It’s not the first time the Moranbah Hospital has been in the spotlight this year.

In April, Moranbah mum and long time resident Jennifer Malcolm was admitted to Moranbah Hospital and said she was horrified at the condition of the local hospital, which included walls with holes from visible termite damage and cracked ceilings.

Termite repair and rectification works were carried out and have since been completed.

In September 2020, the Queensland Government committed $500,000 for a preliminary and detailed business case for the redevelopment of the hospital, as part of an expansion to Mackay, Bowen and Moranbah services.

Facebook post prompts hospital tales

Kirby Thomson, who made a Facebook post in late August that prompted women to come forward with the stories above, said she was upset to hear that friends and family had been improperly treated in her hometown.

“I put a post on Facebook the other day that said, ‘Hey, if anybody has had issues with the hospital in the past could you please let me know,’ and I’m just getting flooded with different messages.

“It’s pretty sad.

“It’s my home town and I still have a large amount of family and friends that still reside in Moranbah or work there.

“It just makes me so angry because it shouldn’t matter if you go to a big Brisbane hospital or a regional hospital – if you’re having health issues that could be severe you should able to get treatment at any hospital. If they can’t provide the treatment they should be organising to send you somewhere where you can.”