Brisbane GP identified as first patient in hospital’s infection cluster to die
A beloved Brisbane GP and father of three has been identified as the first patient involved in the deadly fungal cluster at Prince Charles Hospital to have died.
QLD News
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A beloved Brisbane GP and father-of-three has been identified as the first patient involved in the deadly fungal cluster at Prince Charles Hospital to have died.
Dr Muhammad Hussain, 55, received a lifesaving heart transplant at the Prince Charles in May before falling ill and going in and out of hospital for months, eventually testing positive for a fungal infection.
He died in hospital on September 20, leaving behind his family and the medical practice he had set up in Mango Hill.
But his family only heard of the five-person fungal cluster out of Prince Charles Hospital on November 1 after the story appeared in the news.
Dr Hussain’s daughter Muskaan, 23, said many questions remained unanswered including why patients weren’t notified of the detection of fungal spores sooner and what safeguards the hospital had in place to prevent fungus outbreaks happening.
“This has affected five families very deeply. They were real people,” Ms Hussain said.
“My father was a very well loved GP, loved by hundreds of his patients, loved what he did and he chose to get this procedure done knowing the risks. But he never thought that he would get so sick.
“He thought he would be back at work doing what he loved. He couldn’t wait to get back to his patients, and he never got the opportunity to do so.”
It’s understood the fungal infections of each of the five patients were tested and four different strains were identified, though only one was the same strain as what had been detected at the Prince Charles Hospital.
A review into Dr Hussain’s death is underway.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman earlier said it was “absolutely not acceptable” patients at the Prince Charles were only alerted to a deadly fungal infection at the hospital from watching the nightly news.
She said the head of the transplant unit had assured her he had spoken directly with patients in the unit about the cluster, “and if that has not happened then I want to again really apologise”.
Metro North HHS chief executive Jane Hancock, in a previous statement on the cluster, said transplant patients were among the “most vulnerable patients and can be susceptible to various illnesses and infections in the community, especially once they return home”.
“We continue to work transparently and engage with all transplant patients,” she said.
“We want patients to know that we have taken all precautions to keep them safe when in the community. Any patient with concerns is encouraged to contact their Transplant Coordinator.”
Originally published as Brisbane GP identified as first patient in hospital’s infection cluster to die
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