Nurse suspended over Covid ‘mistake’ in Melbourne
An aged care nurse has been suspended after a “mistake” he made during Covid lockdown, with an outbreak following that killed 38.
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An aged care nurse has been suspended following a “mistake” he made during Covid lockdown in Melbourne.
Nursing staff at Epping Aged Care held a surprise baby shower on July 16, 2020 for registered nurse Denis Baniqued and his wife, who also worked as a carer at the facility.
Colleagues who arranged the baby shower invited others to attend and had food and gifts brought in. Some of those who attended were not working on that day.
Mr Baniqued was not aware of the baby shower prior and stayed for five minutes, however there were strict Covid rules banning such gatherings in place at the time.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) found that Mr Baniqued failed to disperse the party, remove unauthorised persons from the facility and report the baby shower to managers.
In the days after the baby shower, Mr Baniqued and others who were in attendance tested positive to Covid.
This also coincided with a deadly Covid outbreak at the facility. Of the 119 residents at Epping Gardens, 103 were infected with the virus and 38 died. Eighty-six staff members were also infected.
However, a previous investigation could not identify the source of the outbreak.
Mr Baniqued has expressed his deep remorse over the tragic incident.
“Seeing all of this unfold in front of me, I am filled with sympathy, and remorse for the fact that I could have done something for everyone, yet I have failed to do so,” Mr Baniqued said.
“I truly am trying to convey my sincerest apologies for having failed to report this incident to my supervisors, and I have not once have forgotten this mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
“We could all speculate how things may have turned out, if only the correct thing was done.”
Mr Baniqued said it was “dreadful” to watch the events unfolding.
“I have witnessed the devastation to all involved and the faces and the names of the people I have known and have cared for is still part of my memory and their families that have placed their trust in me that I feel that I have shattered,” he said.
The tribunal acknowledged Mr Baniqued’s remorse however it found his behaviour still amounted to professional misconduct.
He was suspended for one month and will also need to undergo further training on incident reporting and leadership.
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