Debt collector sends message to dead Melbourne mum with $580 invoice for an ambulance

A grieving husband has been left distressed after a debt collector sent a message to his late wife who died at Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic.

Melbourne dad Sukhjinder Singh has criticised the clinic and the Coroner after his wife Harjit Kaur’s tragic death.

A grieving husband says he has been left in the dark about his wife’s sudden death at a Melbourne clinic — which is now subject to major restrictions — and has faced a series of insensitive, bureaucratic hurdles.

Beloved mother-of-two Harjit Kaur, 30, died on January 12 shortly after undergoing a surgical abortion at Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic.
Her husband Sukhjinder Singh has criticised the clinic and the Coroner, who is still investigating his wife’s cause of death, for the lack of information.

Sukhjinder Singh says he has been left in the dark on his wife Harjit Kaur’s death.

He was further distressed by a text sent to his wife’s phone last Tuesday by debt collector ARMA, invoicing him $580 for an ambulance that was sent to the clinic.

The message began: “Hi ESTATE OF HARJIT”.

The paramedics were called by the clinic but Mrs Kaur could not be resuscitated.

Ambulance Victoria — after questions from the Herald Sun last week — said they would review debt collection communications made on their behalf.

The text message sent to Harjit Kaur’s phone last Tuesday.

Mr Singh had also feared he would lose their new home, told he could not access his wife’s superannuation and insurance without the cause of death certificate.

But in an abrupt change, Australian Super released the funds after inquiries by the Herald Sun last week.

Mr Singh said he decided to speak out so that what happened to his wife – who had two young children – “is never repeated to any other person in this country”.

“She had so many dreams,” he said.

He said a doctor called to say his wife’s heartbeat stopped post-surgery and she wasn’t responding to CPR.

When he arrived at the clinic, he was told Mrs Kaur was dead.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency announced on Friday it had begun investigating “wider issues” and multiple practitioners at the clinic.

Dr Rudolph Lopes, the obstetrician who operated on Mrs Kaur, was suspended for unspecified reasons and the health department — which banned further surgery at the clinic late February — was looking “closely” at other private, day abortion clinics.

Family spokesman Suresh Rajan said the lack of support from various organisations – including public bodies like the Coroners and Health Care Complaints Commission – was disappointing.

“Culturally and linguistically appropriate trauma and grief counselling is essential,” he said.

Mr Rajan said the delays in Mr Singh receiving his wife’s super and life insurance meant he was charged $11,000 in settlement fees for the house his wife “couldn’t wait to move into”.

“Hardly the sign of a caring society,” he said.

Hampton Park Women’s Health Clinic medical director Dr Michelle Kenney said Mrs Kaur’s death was a tragedy unrelated to surgery and the ban was “unjustified”.

The clinic has paid the ambulance invoice.

She said they had met with Mr Singh after his wife’s death and were happy to do so again.

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said they had “reached out to our debt collection agencies to review their communications”.

ARMA chief executive Andrew Smith said they comply with relevant ASIC guidelines, continuously work with ambulance “to improve policies” and always cease communication — referring back to Ambulance Victoria — if an issue is raised.

A Coroners Court spokeswoman said the Coroner was awaiting “further expert medical advice to determine Ms Kaur’s cause of death”.

“The time required for the coroner to establish a cause of death is dependent on the circumstances and complexity of each case,” she said.

Originally published as Debt collector sends message to dead Melbourne mum with $580 invoice for an ambulance