Coronavirus: Exemption for Mabel after Scott Morrison lobbies for compassion

The Marshall government has given a two-year old Victorian girl an exemption to cross the SA border for medical treatment.

Jonathan Dyer with two-year-old Mabel. Picture: Paul Jeffers

The Marshall government has given a two-year old Victorian girl an exemption to cross the South Australian border for medical treatment after lobbying from Scott Morrison.

A spokeswoman for South Australian Health said on Monday Mabel and her parents could cross into the state for an upcoming health appointment.

Mabel, who has complex hip dysplasia and has been in some sort of brace for most of her life, lives in the Victorian town of Kan­iva, 20km east of the SA border.

She needs to see her specialist in Adelaide later this month to determine whether the bracing has worked or surgery is required.

Her parents, Tiarnee and Jonathan Dyer, were previously told their specialist at Adelaide’s Women’s and Children’s hospital could not see Mabel because of COVID-19 and they would need to find another doctor in the coronavirus hotspot of Melbourne, 414km away.

“We have spoken with the Dyer family several times today and confirmed that Mabel can cross into SA for an upcoming appointment,” the South Australian Health spokeswoman said.

“We have made all the necessary arrangements so Mabel can continue to receive the care she needs via telemedicine in the first instance. Following this, should Mabel be required to travel to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, she will be provided with the ­appropriate exemption.”

The Prime Minister intervened in Mabel’s case on Friday after learning of her story through The Weekend Australian.

The Australian understands Mr Morrison and SA Premier Steven Marshall discussed the issue at the weekend, with Mr Morrison pushing for an exemption for Mabel.

Mr Dyer told The Australian he was not satisfied with the result because the family could not go directly to the hospital for Mabel’s appointment. “This was not a face-to-face appointment as was initially booked for us some months ago, so our treatment is still not the same as pre-COVID,” he said.

“It is better than nothing but what we would like is to go to the hospital where all the scanning equipment and the doctor is. It is a one-stop-shop where everything is under the one roof.

“We don’t understand why they won’t see us at the hospital and no one will tell us.

“We don’t understand what risk we pose to the hospital.”

Mr Morrison has written to the premiers of NSW, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland to ­urgently resolve border restrictions so Australians can move freely across state boundaries to access healthcare and work.

Last week, SA Police scrapped cross-border exemption permits for residents of far western Victoria, banned all Victorian children except those in Years 11 and 12 from continuing to attend SA schools and barred all “non-­urgent” medical travel.

Out of desperation, Mabel’s mother Tiarnee wrote a letter to Mr Morrison pleading for help.