Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation under fire after allegations of potential misdiagnosis

An ex-Red Centre resident says he wants to ‘give up’ after a misdiagnosis by his former health provider left him feeling embarrassed, unsupported, and barely able to walk.

Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation, Tennant Creek. Picture: Alex Treacy

A former Red Centre resident says he wants to “give up” after a misdiagnosis by his former health provider left him feeling embarrassed, unsupported, and barely able to walk.

Sam (not his real name) – a former Tennant Creek resident – said he presented Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation in 2022 with swelling and pain in his right ankle.

An Aboriginal man and client of the health service, he said he had previously attended with gout complications in his left big toe earlier in the same year.

“They continued with the gout treatment despite it being in a different area of the body and holding different symptoms to gout,” he said.

Nearly two years later, Sam said his ankle had not gotten better, and blames the health service treatment.

For Sam’s partner Jane (also not her real name), she said the service “spent less than five minutes with Sam in these appointments”.

“In order to receive medical treatment, Sam had to move interstate to see specialists and get advice,” she said.

“He had to resign from his employment in Tennant Creek, where he was helping the community directly, something he absolutely loved as it was giving back to the Aboriginal community.”

Former Tennant Creek resident Sam's ankles. Picture: Supplied.

Now in the nation’s capital, Sam said he’s finally been properly diagnosed with right ankle early osteoarthritis by an orthopaedic surgeon.

In correspondence to the couple, the orthopaedic surgeon said Sam’s injury “may not heal or may propagate”.

He now has chronic ligament injuries – something his partner Jane said could have been avoided if he was diagnosed properly.

“I give up,” he said.

As Sam now sits in pain, Jane has taken the fight to Anyinginyi – and said the response she got was “disgraceful”.

“It took the service three months, in October 2023 to even acknowledge I had made contact,” she said.

“If there was a reply, it has been one line to say an investigation is underway.

She said when did finally receive a reply from a lawyer “the information was incorrect, to the point where they didn’t even spell Sam’s name correctly”.

“How disgusting,” she said.

Jane said she has also been in contact with Territory and federal politicians, who “did nothing”.

Responding to questions sent by the NT News, Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation said “the organisation appreciates that not all people will be satisfied with the service provided at all times”.

“When complaints are made, we endeavour to work with our clients to address their issues,” a spokeswoman said.

“Generally, Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation prides itself on the service it offers to its various clients and is always seeking to improve on the delivery of that service.”

Originally published as Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation under fire after allegations of potential misdiagnosis