Canberra Calvary Hospital: Dusan Palicka died after choking on hospital’s roast beef lunch

A patient died after choking a piece of his roast been prepared at a Canberra hospital, a coronial inquest has heard.

Calvary Hospital in Canberra. Picture: Supplied

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A mental health patient accidentally choked on a roast beef lunch cooked at Canberra’s Calvary Hospital and later died when doctors made the agonising call to turn off his life support.

An inquest into the death of Dusan Palicka, on Thursday concluded the troubled schizophrenia patient died at Calvary Hospital two days after choking on his lunch at the neighbouring Brian Hennessy mental health unit, where he had been detained on an involuntary treatment order.

Mr Palicka had previously choked on a piece of steak, prompting medicos to recommend he be put onto a diet of pureed foods, but the former chef refused to eat what he called “baby food” and would take other people’s food whenever it was dished up to him.

The ACT law courts (File photo).

The inquest heard a speech pathologist allowed Mr Palicka to resume a normal diet, but recommended any chewy foods be cut up before being given to him because he was waiting for a new set of dentures and was his food with his gums.

Mr Palicka wanted his food cut up in front of him, and would become agitated if it wasn’t, counsel assisting the inquest Susan Platis said.

The morning he choked, Mr Palicka woke up agitated and when asked if he wanted to shower, he said: “no, no, no”, and stayed in his room until lunch was delivered from the hospital kitchen.

As the meal was served, but before a nurse could cut the meat up for him, Mr Palicka grabbed a whole piece of meat and swallowed it, and immediately began choking.

Attempts to stop him choking failed, and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he was suffering seizures as a result of his brain being starved of oxygen.

Once stabilised, he was taken to intensive care.

Mr Palicka’s former partner and daughter rushed to Canberra to be by his side, and doctors, with their support and after speaking with the public guardian, decided to take Mr Palicka off of life support.

Mr Theakston accepted Ms Platis’s submission that there were no issues of public safety arising out of Mr Palicka’s death, which he described as accidental.

“There was a known risk in relation to choking,” Mr Theakston said.

“The arrangement was being followed.

“Unfortunately, in these circumstances, Mr Palicka was caused to choke and that ultimately led to his death.”