Cairns mum, Tegan Catalano, calling for the immediate appointment of a second pediatric cardiologist
A Cairns mother is calling for a second cardiologist in Far North Queensland after her four-year-old daughter was forced to wait nearly four months for a critical heart check-up.
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Cairns mother is calling for a second cardiologist in Far North Queensland after her four-year-old daughter was forced to wait nearly four months for a critical heart check-up.
Others are waiting up to 1.5 years to see a heart specialist.
Families are urgently asking for another cardiologist to be based in Cairns or the introduction of an immediate fly-in pediatric cardiologist to help reduce the wait times.
Tegan Catalano and her four-year-old daughter are among Cairns residents struggling with limited access to specialist care.
“I was told new patients are waiting up to a year and a half just to be seen,” she said.
“That’s over a year with no eyes on a child’s heart condition. That’s not safe.”
Born with a rare and life-threatening congenital heart condition, Violet Catalano required open-heart surgery within hours of birth, and her complex recovery continues to require consistent monitoring
“At present, wait times for both new and existing pediatric cardiology patients are dangerously long,” Ms Catalano said.
“Violets heart conditions is invisible — you can’t tell something’s wrong until it’s too late. These checks are what keep her safe.”
Violet was scheduled for her annual cardiology review in January with Cairns’ only pediatric cardiologist, Dr Ben Reeves, however it was cancelled last minute due to the specialist being unwell.
The appointment was then postponed two more times, being pushed back to late April.
Ms Catalano, who praised Dr Reeves for his care, said the delay was deeply unsettling and these appointments weren’t the type you can just reschedule like a dentist.
Desperate for help she contacted Barron River MP Bree James, who then escalated the issue to Queensland Health Minister, Tim Nicholls.
Violet was then given an earlier appointment in March this year — however, this was still three months overdue.
“I wrote to Bree James, they said, yeah, leave it with us. Apparently then they contacted the Queensland Health Minister who contacted the hospital,” Ms Catalano said.
Member for Hill MP Shane Knuth asked Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls to provide immediate funding for an additional pediatric cardiologists to be based in the Far North in parliament this week.
“When I was alerted to this shortage in critical health care through the public system by Tegan, my heart went out to the family,” Mr Knuth said.
“It is incredible in this modern day and age that we only have one paediatric cardiology specialist based in Cairns to look after the entire Far North region.
“It is unacceptable that families have 12 month wait times.”
The severe strain on pediatric cardiology in the region continues to highlights the broader challenge regional areas face in providing access to specialist care.
Earlier this year Cairns Post Critical Condition campaign revealed breast cancer diagnoses were being delayed by up to four months after a vital mammography service was shut down due to the failure to secure a permanent radiologist.
Mr Nicholls said there was a current shortage of pediatric cardiologists in Australia, particularly in regional and rural areas.
“I understand the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service undertakes regular service planning to ensure services are developed in a sustainable way and prioritised according to health needs,” he said.
“Queensland Health is currently working with the CHHHS on a business case for a strengthened networked service approach to pediatric cardiology service delivery.”
Mr Nicholls said Ms James was a “fierce advocate for her community” when asked about his and her involvement helping the Catalano family getting an earlier appointment for Violet.
“I was pleased to request that the CHHHS expedite whatever treatments were necessary for this patient,” Mr Nicholls.
Dr Reeves is the only specialist covering all of Far North Queensland, including outreach clinics in The Cape, Torres Strait and remote Indigenous communities, where rates of rheumatic heart disease in children are among the highest nationally.
Ms Catalano said Dr Reeves was a brilliant doctor who cares deeply and does everything he can.
“The system is failing him — and failing our kids. One person can’t carry a region of this size,” she said.
“These are children with serious heart issues. That kind of delay could have lifelong consequences.”
Other parents across the region have reported similar delays and uncertainty, many saying they feel helpless when appointments are suddenly cancelled and no alternatives are offered.
“We don’t even have a dedicated phone line to pediatric cardiology,” Ms Catalano said.
“In south Queensland, they have a whole team who’s supporting these doctors. Here, it’s one just man.”
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service chief executive Leena Singh said rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and congenital heart disease are key drivers of pediatric cardiology demand at Cairns Hospital, especially affecting First Nations communities.
“RHD is 10 times more prevalent in Far North Queensland than the rest of the state, and more than 30 times more prevalent for children (aged 14 and under) in our region,” she said.
In 2024, almost 700 pediatric cardiology services were delivered at CHHHS.
Ms Singh said there were numerous methods in place to reduce RHD rates including therapeutic injection model for children, and clinician support for administering Bicillin.
More Coverage
Originally published as Cairns mum, Tegan Catalano, calling for the immediate appointment of a second pediatric cardiologist
Temp drop in Far North likely caused by undersea volcano
A volcanic eruption from 2022 could potentially cause temperatures to drop across northern Australia this winter, according to researchers.
Explained: What return of birthing unit means for expecting mums
Twenty women have given birth in Weipa since it reopened a year ago, but what should mums expect of the returned maternity service?