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Minister yet to respond to family’s claims

February 4, 2021 4:40 pm

[Photo: Supplied]

The Health Minister is still to respond on claims made by a Savusavu family that Adalyn Ramatau, died because the medical staff were not available in the emergency room.

Aunt of the deceased, Kiti Chapple, says the incident happened early Sunday morning when Adalyn suffered from an asthma attack.

Chapple claims Adalyn’s husband took her to the Savusavu Hospital’s emergency room at around 5.30am and there were no doctors or nurses around.

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The husband had to look around various wards for about 10 minutes before he found a nurse.

“She was getting all panicky because she could not breathe at all. She was just crying in pain because she couldn’t breathe at all – they just put the oxygen mask.”

Chapple claims the doctor tried to revive Adalyn but were unsuccessful.

“They pumped her and when they couldn’t regain her they just left, but the rest of the relatives were trying to pump her and do everything. The doctor was just standing there saying there is nothing else we can do. The family were all there. Helping out, pumping her, calling out her name and praying, everyone was so upset.”

She further claims the family was told to do funeral arrangements on the same day as they did not have any back-up generator to keep the body at the morgue.

“So the family offered the generator and the fuel and that is how they kept the body at the Hospital’s mortuary until Monday when the power came back on.”

However, the Health Minister has denied this saying the generator at the hospital was working fine, but Chapple says the back-up generator at the hospital is really small which could not even start.

We have tried to speak to the Minister for Health, Ifereimi Waqainabete, several times today but without success.