An investigation into the hidden killer in Australia’s remote Aboriginal communities | Four Corners
An investigation into the hidden killer in Australia’s remote Aboriginal communities | Four Corners
Right now in Australia, there are young women dying from an easily preventable medical condition and an appalling lack of healthcare.
This should be a national scandal.
Four Corners travelled to Doomadgee, in north-west Queensland, to investigate the shameful and, until now, hidden failure in public health taking place in remote Australian communities.
Incompetent and inexcusable medical care has resulted in multiple preventable deaths.
Those left behind are heartbroken from the loss of treasured members of their community.
Now they are telling their story to hold those in charge to account.
Read more: https://ab.co/3Ks6N0d
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Watch more Four Corners investigations here: https://bit.ly/2JbpMkf
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Content
0.719 -> aboriginal and torres strait islander
2.72 -> viewers are advised that the following
4.4 -> program contains images and voices of
6.799 -> people who have died the families of the
9.04 -> deceased have granted permission for
10.8 -> their names and faces to be shown in
12.88 -> this program
18.8 -> okay
24.65 -> [Music]
34.8 -> it's twilight in doumaji in remote
37.92 -> northwest queensland gulf
42.84 -> country the children have come out to
45.6 -> play
53.33 -> [Music]
60.719 -> they're joining in a medicine dance
68.65 -> [Music]
73.6 -> almost 40
75.04 -> of the people who live here
77.2 -> are aged under 14 years old
80.9 -> [Music]
87.92 -> despite the joy in the children's faces
90.88 -> there's a sadness that runs through the
93.119 -> heart of this place
96.56 -> i'm tired of burying my people
99.759 -> i'm
100.37 -> [Music]
104.56 -> i can't
105.21 -> [Music]
106.64 -> i can't keep burying young people
110.67 -> [Music]
112.799 -> in domaji young people are dying from a
115.92 -> disease that all but disappeared in the
118.719 -> rest of australia decades ago without
121.759 -> getting the health care they need
125.92 -> if that was a white kid in middle class
128.72 -> sydney
129.92 -> you know
130.8 -> there'd be an uproar
132.959 -> okay
134 -> but it's not a white kid
136.239 -> you know
137.599 -> it's an aboriginal kid living in the
139.44 -> bush
140.959 -> does that child deserve any less
144.16 -> than
144.959 -> a white kid living in middle class
146.56 -> sydney we had the solutions for this
149.36 -> over 50 years ago yet today we're
152.56 -> standing back and watching young people
156.08 -> developing rheumatic fever and rheumatic
157.68 -> heart disease and dying from this
160.4 -> australia needs to know about this
164.56 -> tonight on four corners we investigate
167.44 -> how the deaths of young women in a
169.68 -> remote aboriginal community highlight a
173.12 -> shameful and until now hidden failure in
176.64 -> public health
178.44 -> [Music]
196 -> domoji's cemetery is full of the graves
199.12 -> of children and young people
201.97 -> [Music]
207.519 -> one of them was little nailer walden
212.4 -> four-year-old nayla died in 2009 with
216 -> rheumatic heart disease
219.44 -> she's gone but
221.04 -> never be forgotten
223.04 -> you still think about naila every day
225.36 -> that we got
226.959 -> we're a very big family that we just
231.12 -> fell apart
234.64 -> nayla died after being sent home three
237.76 -> times from dumiji hospital despite her
240.879 -> family's desperate pleas
246.159 -> i said look this kid needed help and we
248.64 -> can't help her keep an arm
250.799 -> and
252 -> she walked in there she walked in the
253.84 -> hospital and then two doors there
256.56 -> the next day she never walked out of
258.239 -> them
261.519 -> the little girl's death led to a
263.36 -> community outcry
266.56 -> but despite numerous recommendations to
268.96 -> doumiti hospital from a health
270.88 -> department inquiry
272.639 -> very little changed
278.4 -> i don't think we'd have
280.16 -> ever ever ever ever listened
282.639 -> from day one
284.24 -> and they're still they're still not
285.919 -> listening
286.8 -> you know
288.84 -> [Music]
293.759 -> doumiji is one of many remote aboriginal
296.72 -> communities that have been blighted by
299.36 -> rheumatic heart disease which is all but
302 -> eliminated in the rest of australia
306.08 -> rheumatic heart disease is the damage to
308.4 -> the heart valves or doors from a
311.199 -> condition called rheumatic fever
313.52 -> so rheumatic fever starts with a simple
315.68 -> skin or throat infections
318.16 -> so this is what we call school sores
320.8 -> or sore throats and if left untreated
323.759 -> and if the child has repeated episodes
325.919 -> of skin sores or sore throats caused by
328.4 -> a germ group a strap then it leads an
331.28 -> inflammation of the body called
332.8 -> rheumatic fever and if that is left
335.84 -> unchecked then it permanently damages
338.16 -> the heart valves
339.84 -> once you have damage to the heart valves
342 -> then that can lead to heart failure
344.24 -> stroke and premature death
348.88 -> rheumatic heart disease used to be an
350.96 -> illness that affected many white
353.28 -> children too
356.88 -> back in the 1940s and 50s in australian
360.08 -> hospitals the main reason a children's
362.4 -> hospital bed was occupied was because of
364.479 -> rheumatic fever so it was that common
367.52 -> during the second half of the 20th
369.28 -> century it really started vanishing in
372.08 -> most of our population largely because
375.039 -> we had much better economic development
377.6 -> we had better housing where better
379.52 -> medical services
381.28 -> what we've since discovered is that
382.96 -> there are populations in this country
384.639 -> that weren't benefiting from economic
386.72 -> development and in particular the
388 -> aboriginal and torres strait islander
389.52 -> population
391.52 -> and we unfortunately found in the 80s
394.319 -> and 90s and continuing to this day
396.8 -> world record rates in our aboriginal and
399.12 -> torres strait islander population
400.77 -> [Music]
403.52 -> well it's primarily because of the
404.88 -> living conditions and despite decades
408.4 -> and decades and decades of appeals by
411.52 -> aboriginal leaders and torres state
413.199 -> island leaders right throughout
415.12 -> australia
416.319 -> for our housing situation to be fixed
419.84 -> it hasn't
421.52 -> one of the most disturbing things about
423.52 -> rheumatic fever is that while it's
425.52 -> virtually unheard of in white australia
428.639 -> it's actually increasing in the
430.88 -> indigenous population from 67 to 81
434.72 -> cases in a hundred thousand people
437.759 -> but that's nothing compared to doumaji a
440.319 -> screening of the children here in july
443.12 -> 2019 found 4
446.479 -> 400 cases in a hundred thousand people
450.319 -> that's higher than sub-saharan africa
454.8 -> we're failing
456.16 -> our people our first nations people
459.36 -> the oldest living cultural group in the
462.319 -> world
463.68 -> and we're allowing this to happen
466 -> at rate at the highest rates of rhd in
469.44 -> the world it is a an appalling statistic
474.479 -> in a country
475.919 -> as capable and competent as australia
483.12 -> dr beau romani is a pediatric
486.08 -> cardiologist
488.08 -> she spent her first year as a doctor at
490.56 -> doumaji where she was shocked to see
493.039 -> young people dying from rheumatic heart
495.599 -> disease
496.72 -> you can see your heart pumping and
498.56 -> squeezing all the blood around your body
501.599 -> from that moment on
503.52 -> i had this desire to become a pediatric
505.919 -> cardiologist to specifically to stop
508.879 -> young children dying from a preventable
511.919 -> disease rheumatic heart disease
515.12 -> would you like to hear your heart
516.24 -> beating yes okay if you put this in your
518.64 -> ear and you can have a little listen
521.2 -> and put that in your heart here good job
524.54 -> [Music]
530 -> dr beau became so famous in her field
533.279 -> she was named northern territory
535.519 -> australian of the year
546 -> she was celebrated for her work with
547.92 -> children in remote aboriginal
549.92 -> communities with rheumatic heart disease
553.17 -> [Music]
554.8 -> one of dr beau's first patients when she
557.36 -> started out in doumaji was a baby called
560.24 -> yvette booth
561.68 -> everyone called her betty
563.29 -> [Music]
565.519 -> in year 2001 i used to see betty almost
569.68 -> on weekly basis she was a young girl who
571.76 -> was born slightly prematurely and
574 -> because of that she had frequent
575.36 -> presentations to the hospital
577.38 -> [Music]
579.12 -> betty booth was a much loved member of
581.76 -> her family and her community
585.68 -> she was really really happy little girl
588.959 -> good to talk to
591.839 -> she really loved talking stories you
594.08 -> know sitting with us
598.959 -> it was dr beau who diagnosed betty with
601.839 -> rheumatic heart disease in 2019
604.92 -> [Music]
607.2 -> and i hadn't seen her since she was a
609.92 -> one-year-old baby
612.959 -> it was very unfortunate in a way that i
615.04 -> was so excited to see this family but
617.279 -> after doing the heart scan we very
619.36 -> quickly realized that betty had very
621.36 -> severe rheumatic heart disease
623.41 -> [Music]
625.839 -> dr beau's team left detailed
628.24 -> instructions for betty's care and
630.64 -> doumiji hospital was advised of her
633.04 -> diagnosis
636.32 -> betty was supposed to be booked in for
638.32 -> urgent heart valve surgery she was meant
641.36 -> to be reviewed weekly
643.279 -> neither of these things happened
645.75 -> [Music]
650.48 -> four days after her diagnosis at 11 pm
653.76 -> betty booth came here to doumaji
656.079 -> hospital with a terrible cough it was
658.64 -> the first of her 12 presentations to the
661.36 -> emergency department with things like
663.76 -> difficulty breathing an abnormally high
666.64 -> heart rate fever and coughing up blood
670.32 -> she was given panadol and on one
672.64 -> occasion antibiotics but there was no
675.76 -> record in her notes at the time that she
678.399 -> had a serious and life-threatening
680.959 -> illness
681.92 -> and required urgent heart surgery
686.24 -> how many times can you present to the
688 -> clinic with the same symptoms
689.68 -> progressing symptoms coughing up like
691.519 -> shorter breath tachycardic and each time
694.72 -> the outcome is not different
697.36 -> i can't explain that
699.12 -> i mean you know
700.48 -> it's incompetence as far as i'm
702 -> concerned absolute incompetence and
704.64 -> inexcusable
710.42 -> [Music]
712.8 -> on some of these visits in the middle of
714.959 -> the night staff didn't record basic
718.56 -> vital signs observations
721.12 -> and sometimes betty was handed panadol
724.079 -> through a security grade and sent
728.839 -> home we know that it's really not the
731.68 -> right treatment
733.6 -> but unfortunately panadol is easy to
736.399 -> give out so
737.76 -> you know people will get the panadol and
739.44 -> we'll say oh that's the shut up pill
742.05 -> [Music]
757.76 -> betty's cousin clennan bob and his wife
760.8 -> marilyn were staying with betty's family
763.92 -> when the teenager became desperately ill
767.04 -> in september 2019.
771.68 -> she was struggling to breathe you know
774.48 -> she had a shower and
776.24 -> her sister paula took her up to the
778.48 -> clinic hospital
780.16 -> but you know like all this part of her
782.24 -> face it was swollen
786.399 -> swelling can be a warning sign that a
789.36 -> rheumatic heart disease patient is in
792 -> serious trouble
794 -> this was betty's 11th visit to doumaji
796.72 -> hospital in under two months
802.079 -> so she took her up again to the hospital
804.399 -> what did they do
805.6 -> they gave her a pallet bowl
807.519 -> sent her home yeah send it back home
810.399 -> so if i present to an emergency
812.16 -> department
813.44 -> and i've got serious
815.279 -> symptoms
816.72 -> i don't want to be handed panadol
818.399 -> through the great
820.24 -> i want a full triage and i want to be or
823.839 -> have all the work done
825.76 -> that any other australian has a right to
828.48 -> expect that is not happening for our
830.88 -> people
832.37 -> [Music]
835.12 -> a day later on the morning of monday
837.76 -> september 23
839.76 -> weenie and terence george were out on
842.16 -> their veranda when betty came around
845.279 -> their daughter shakaya was betty's best
847.6 -> friend
850.88 -> she was looking a bit puffy in the face
854.56 -> yeah she was like she was breathless
857.04 -> talking to
858.48 -> me and terence
860.639 -> and i told her you look sick why would
862.399 -> you better go to the hospital
872.16 -> at the hospital that afternoon
874.639 -> there was still no alert on its online
877.92 -> system to show betty had severe
881.04 -> rheumatic heart disease and required
883.68 -> urgent surgery
888.8 -> several hours after betty arrived
890.8 -> struggling to breathe staff finally
893.6 -> decided she should fly out
896.079 -> but she was categorized low dependency
899.199 -> meaning her case wasn't urgent
902.959 -> a plane was ordered from townsville
906.44 -> 850 kilometers away instead of the
909.6 -> closest regional hospital mount isa
917.199 -> i was there at the time
920.72 -> i was just like waiting outside
923.199 -> i wanted to go in and see
924.839 -> it no one would let me go in even the
928.24 -> nurse or doctors
930.69 -> [Music]
936.079 -> just over an hour later
938.56 -> betty was dead
944.24 -> the plane that had been ordered to fly
946.24 -> her out landed almost two hours too late
955.77 -> [Music]
964 -> it broke both of my heart
968.399 -> still today talking about it
971.199 -> we don't like
973.839 -> talking
974.8 -> but
977.279 -> this is going to help her
979.279 -> because what they did there
982.639 -> they're just going to keep killing
983.839 -> people
986.639 -> they're going to keep killing them
988.8 -> and get away with it
993.6 -> the next time dr bo romani visited
996.32 -> doumaji
997.44 -> was for betty booth's funeral
1001.39 -> [Music]
1003.92 -> to see betty who was a young
1006.56 -> enthusiastic caring compassionate young
1010 -> woman
1010.88 -> with a bright future
1013.279 -> to see her in a coffin
1016.32 -> devastating
1019.44 -> i felt angry
1021.519 -> i felt angry that in 20 years nothing
1024.24 -> had changed
1025.52 -> i became a pediatric cardiologist
1027.679 -> because i wanted to stop young woman
1029.679 -> specifically dying from rheumatic heart
1032.24 -> disease
1034.319 -> and
1035.919 -> i felt
1037.12 -> um when i diagnosed betty with rheumatic
1040.48 -> heart disease i felt really positive i
1043.28 -> felt like i could change her trajectory
1045.919 -> of her life
1047.439 -> now seeing her in a coffin three months
1049.2 -> later less than three months later and
1052.64 -> i felt
1054.88 -> i felt responsible
1057.78 -> [Music]
1064.16 -> after betty's death the community
1066.32 -> marched to the hospital in anger
1070.38 -> [Music]
1075.12 -> we didn't want that to happen to the
1076.48 -> next person you know that's why we i
1078.4 -> wanted to do something like that you
1079.84 -> know let them know we are
1082.4 -> we are
1084.72 -> you know
1085.679 -> we are human beings
1088.03 -> [Music]
1090.799 -> we stand back
1092.48 -> and watch
1093.679 -> children time after time again
1096.799 -> year after year decade after decade
1100.32 -> having still having the same end result
1104.48 -> which is dying far too young
1109.12 -> queensland health promised another
1111.28 -> review it was completed in march 2020
1115.2 -> and found clinical risk and poor
1118.32 -> clinical governance
1119.919 -> low expectations for aboriginal patients
1123.28 -> health and an unwelcoming hospital
1126.48 -> environment where staff had limited
1129.2 -> understanding of rheumatic heart disease
1132.96 -> the family wasn't told about these
1134.96 -> findings until august 2021
1138.88 -> after four corners started making calls
1141.76 -> about betty
1145.12 -> what do you think it shows about the way
1147.28 -> that they think about the family given
1150 -> that they didn't show it to the family
1151.76 -> for for a year and a half because they
1153.679 -> said oh there
1156.24 -> there's another black fella gone
1158.64 -> who cares
1160.799 -> i'm gonna waste time
1164.72 -> that is the true honest
1168 -> that's how we feel
1172.72 -> that's a straight out answer
1176.64 -> they didn't care
1181.28 -> i'm not ashamed of saying it
1184.559 -> we'd feel like they've treated us like
1186.32 -> animals
1190.48 -> that's a big thing to say
1199.84 -> i'm sorry but not really sorry but it's
1202.48 -> the truth
1205.12 -> it's racism it's
1207.2 -> there's no other words for that um
1210.48 -> it is racism that creates this division
1214 -> and one group of people thinking
1215.919 -> potentially that they're better than
1217.52 -> other
1223.44 -> the town of dumaji was established as a
1225.84 -> christian mission in the 1930s
1228.88 -> it was run by paternalistic brethren
1231.6 -> missionaries
1234.08 -> and the disciples watched they wondered
1236.24 -> what jesus was going to do
1238.88 -> these five-year-olds tribal aborigines
1241.679 -> are constantly reminded that jesus loves
1243.84 -> them
1245.2 -> that jesus was going to wash
1247.44 -> their feet
1251.28 -> when the missionaries moved away in the
1253.28 -> 1980s they left behind a community in
1256.88 -> extreme poverty
1261.12 -> that hasn't changed
1275.2 -> you've got families all living in
1276.96 -> three-bedroom homes
1278.48 -> which
1279.44 -> you know
1280.32 -> is certainly not adequate to house that
1281.919 -> many people
1283.44 -> you get people sleeping outside on the
1284.96 -> verandas or people uh you know intense
1288.48 -> all these people use the same facilities
1290.72 -> the same toilet the same the same wash
1293.039 -> bowl the same showers
1294.88 -> so therefore
1297.039 -> if there's an infection in the house
1299.12 -> it's going to spread amongst the family
1301.76 -> people will say oh well aboriginal
1304.559 -> people choose to live like that
1307.44 -> that but it's not a life
1309.679 -> style choice we don't
1312.559 -> want to live
1314.159 -> overcrowded we don't want to live
1317.12 -> where our house is falling apart where
1319.6 -> we can't get repairs on our house
1322.559 -> there are massive issues with what we
1325.12 -> call health hardware just the basics of
1328.08 -> a of a working fridge of a working
1330.4 -> shower or a flushing toilet
1332.4 -> of having access to a washing machine
1335.12 -> that many aboriginal communities many
1337.44 -> aboriginal households don't even have
1339.12 -> those basics
1344.159 -> governments have been promising for
1345.919 -> years to solve these problems
1350.48 -> and to draw a line in the sand to say
1352.72 -> today
1353.76 -> is a day that we've got to start that
1355.52 -> journey
1356.72 -> is important
1362.159 -> the federal government has committed to
1364.4 -> eradicating rheumatic heart disease in
1367.12 -> aboriginal australia by 2030
1371.63 -> [Music]
1373.2 -> a report commissioned by the government
1375.52 -> predicted it would cost
1377.32 -> 4.3 billion
1380.24 -> mostly to replace poor housing
1384.96 -> but the money largely hasn't
1386.88 -> materialized
1388.4 -> except for 35 million
1390.72 -> for development of a vaccine plus 25
1394.08 -> million dollars for a register of
1396.32 -> patients
1397.58 -> [Music]
1400.24 -> the government has failed on that
1401.76 -> commitment
1403.28 -> you know
1404.24 -> and disappointingly for aboriginal and
1406 -> torres strait islander people it's not
1407.679 -> the first time any government's failed
1409.84 -> but we're getting tired of it louise so
1412.24 -> the frustrating thing is that we have a
1414.48 -> commitment to doing something serious
1416.159 -> about rheumatic heart disease and all
1417.679 -> the elements in place to control it yet
1420.08 -> the funding has remained absolutely
1422.559 -> static
1424.58 -> [Music]
1430.24 -> the federal government's minister for
1432.32 -> indigenous australians ken wyatt
1435.36 -> and health greg hunt declined to be
1438.48 -> interviewed for this program
1442.08 -> the queensland health minister was
1444 -> unavailable due to the state's floods
1446.88 -> but told four corners she's about to
1448.88 -> announce a 7.3 million dollar rheumatic
1452.559 -> heart disease strategy
1454.73 -> [Music]
1468.34 -> [Music]
1471.12 -> decades of policy failures by
1473.6 -> governments have had devastating
1476 -> consequences for children growing up in
1479.039 -> doumaji
1484.07 -> [Music]
1488.88 -> nearly two years ago tamisha elisha and
1492.32 -> simona sandy lost their mother to
1495.279 -> rheumatic heart disease
1501.36 -> she was very fun kind
1504.4 -> beautiful
1508.48 -> always a storyteller tell us all the
1510.96 -> stories
1512.01 -> [Music]
1514.4 -> the girl's mum adele sandy died eight
1517.76 -> months after the death of betty booth
1521.07 -> [Music]
1524.24 -> it's really hard
1525.679 -> trying
1526.84 -> to forget about her because it's really
1530.08 -> hard it's not easy
1532.159 -> especially with the weight that
1534.24 -> i have to hold for these two
1536.88 -> it's pretty heavy
1543.52 -> alec doumaji was adele's older cousin
1547.039 -> adele was diagnosed with rheumatic heart
1549.52 -> disease when she was little
1551.2 -> [Music]
1552.96 -> the earliest i can remember of adele
1555.76 -> being
1556.799 -> i guess starting to feel sick was she
1558.799 -> would have been around six years old or
1561.12 -> or whatnot and
1562.799 -> mum eunice you know her mother would
1564.24 -> always tell us that you know she
1566.96 -> she wasn't well there was something
1568.24 -> wrong with her and and
1570.4 -> we were told
1572.32 -> uh in the spirit world that this spirit
1575.12 -> being called the garegala
1577.12 -> the gardajala had shadowed her
1580 -> and put a hole in her little heart
1587.36 -> in the middle of may 2020 when she was
1590.159 -> 37 adele fell seriously ill
1594.159 -> her mother eunice was very worried
1599.919 -> she was walking bendy way and every time
1602.64 -> she comes to me she said mom i'm sick
1605.44 -> i'm feeling heavy in the chest and i
1607.679 -> can't drive
1609.679 -> adele's sister chaslain says she
1612.24 -> repeatedly brought adele to the doumaji
1615.12 -> emergency department and asked staff to
1618.24 -> fly her sister to a bigger hospital
1622 -> i asked him
1623.36 -> twice
1625.44 -> i took in about four
1627.76 -> times before she stayed in
1630.88 -> but before
1632.48 -> that four times that hook in they didn't
1634.72 -> keep her in overnight like they was just
1636.48 -> giving him pain tablets and sending her
1638.48 -> home
1640.799 -> it's very awful the way they
1645.039 -> do that to aboriginal people
1648.24 -> i tell you now i'm that frightened to go
1650.159 -> to the hospital i don't care
1652.64 -> because they don't um
1655.039 -> attend to you or say hello to you you
1657.2 -> know and asks you
1659.279 -> what you want
1662.08 -> yeah or what can they do for us you know
1664.799 -> they don't say that
1666.88 -> they are very rude
1669.52 -> why do you think they treat the people
1671.36 -> in this town like that
1674.559 -> i think because we're aboriginals
1680.84 -> yeah over the next couple of weeks adele
1684.24 -> sandy's family saw her suffering from
1686.88 -> excruciating pain and swelling in her
1689.919 -> legs a known sign of heart failure
1696 -> became unbearable
1697.679 -> she went by ambulance to doumaji
1699.76 -> hospital and staff kept her in for two
1702.559 -> nights before discharging her again
1706.48 -> adele's hospital records suggest that at
1709.44 -> critical stages of her care
1711.84 -> some of the most basic checks required
1714.88 -> for rheumatic heart disease patients
1717.279 -> weren't done
1720 -> the notes claimed she had no edema
1722.88 -> meaning no swelling
1724.72 -> her entire family disputes that
1729.679 -> i told him this it's not normal her leg
1731.84 -> is um swollen and one of the nurse said
1735.6 -> look normal to me it doesn't look like
1737.52 -> it's
1738.159 -> it's um
1739.919 -> so those notes aren't true
1741.679 -> yeah then too
1743.279 -> because i've seen it myself i know
1745.84 -> i know my wife you know
1750.399 -> on saturday may 30
1752.399 -> adele sandy awoke at home in pain
1756.88 -> that afternoon her husband called an
1759.36 -> ambulance
1762.64 -> i told her it's gonna be okay but
1766.799 -> little did i know that it wasn't going
1768.799 -> to be okay
1774.88 -> adele's mother eunice wanted to see her
1777.6 -> daughter
1778.72 -> but she says she and her sisters were
1781.039 -> locked outside the hospital in the
1783.279 -> baking heat
1789.039 -> her daughter was fighting for her life
1790.24 -> at this stage
1791.52 -> she wasn't allowed to enter the hospital
1793.2 -> she wasn't allowed to sit beside her bed
1797.2 -> and the old ladies these are all
1798.72 -> aboriginal women these are all very well
1800.48 -> respected tribal law women in doumaji
1803.6 -> they weren't even afforded the luxury of
1805.679 -> sitting inside in the air-conditioned in
1808.24 -> the air conditioning building they were
1809.679 -> told to stay outside they weren't even
1811.039 -> allowed in the waiting room
1812.799 -> they sat there and couldn't even use the
1814.32 -> toilets
1816 -> i felt like an animal mate hanging
1818.399 -> around the door for my daughter
1822.48 -> i was like that horse that come here
1824.32 -> hanging on the door for my wow
1829.76 -> and they wouldn't let me in there
1834.799 -> eunice and her sisters wanted adele
1837.36 -> flown out for emergency care
1841.039 -> they called eunice's nephew alec doumaji
1846.88 -> they just started crying and said you
1848.88 -> need to do something your little sister
1850.72 -> adele
1851.76 -> is going to die
1853.919 -> if you don't get her out of dumaji
1856.52 -> [Music]
1859.44 -> but it was already too late
1864.51 -> [Music]
1866.799 -> you know i remember them just going in
1868.559 -> there
1869.36 -> and they were trying to revive her and
1872.159 -> and they said it's been
1874.48 -> it's been 10 minutes and we're going to
1876.32 -> keep going and for another 10 minutes
1879.44 -> and
1881.279 -> the doctor said it
1883.2 -> doesn't work you know she's gone and
1887.919 -> i didn't know what to say didn't know
1889.679 -> what to say to anyone
1891.76 -> i was just just crying you know and
1895.2 -> trying to talk there trying to tell her
1896.64 -> to wake up
1898.559 -> but
1899.44 -> yes he
1900.64 -> couldn't wake up
1902.08 -> when the police officer came out and
1903.84 -> told me and my other two sister we just
1906.88 -> fell to the ground i was in darkness
1910.64 -> i cried till i couldn't cry at numbers i
1913.12 -> just lied there and people aren't they
1914.799 -> just come along and nursed me
1918 -> i stayed like that till next morning
1921.919 -> what happened to her was
1924 -> it shouldn't happen to anybody
1926.24 -> you know
1927.2 -> his human life
1929.44 -> should have been treated right as a
1931.2 -> human being
1932.399 -> but she wasn't treated like a human
1934.72 -> being
1936.08 -> how do you feel about damaging hospital
1937.76 -> since then
1939.039 -> i don't go to that hospital
1942.399 -> i suffer with toothache
1946 -> i don't go mum told me to get
1950.88 -> a needle i'm trying to get that
1953.679 -> i don't go to the big hospital anymore
1956.799 -> why do you think that aboriginal
1959.519 -> patients are continually being treated
1962.559 -> in this way in when they present to
1964.88 -> hospital
1967.44 -> i'd have to say it's discrimination and
1969.279 -> racism what else can i put it down to
1973.36 -> i mean seriously
1975.679 -> why should our people be treated like
1977.279 -> this
1978.24 -> you know
1979.12 -> it's not fair
1980.64 -> it's racist it's unacceptable in
1983.039 -> australia and we're not going to cop it
1984.559 -> anymore
1986.54 -> [Music]
1996.159 -> when adele sandy was buried in july 2020
2000.24 -> among the mourners was
2001.799 -> seventeen-year-old shakaya george
2004.88 -> shikaya had the year before lost her
2007.679 -> best friend betty booth to the disease
2011.279 -> shikaya had rheumatic heart disease too
2014.9 -> [Music]
2016.72 -> she was really special
2018.559 -> and
2019.679 -> she was just full of life she had this
2021.6 -> smile that could just light up a room
2025.19 -> [Music]
2027.36 -> shakaya was diagnosed when she was eight
2031.12 -> she twice had open heart surgery
2036.559 -> if we should go to sleep we would listen
2038.48 -> to the little tick on her heart
2040.399 -> no
2042.399 -> and we'd tell her how how special she
2044.399 -> was to have that little tick inside of
2045.919 -> her so the little tick of the artificial
2048.32 -> vowel will be
2052.51 -> [Music]
2057.44 -> in the weeks before her auntie adele's
2059.599 -> funeral
2060.56 -> shakaya had become seriously ill while
2063.919 -> traveling in the northern territory
2067.04 -> she was admitted to alice springs
2068.8 -> hospital where her notes show shakaya
2071.44 -> was breathless had fever chills a cough
2075.119 -> and was vomiting
2076.879 -> tests showed she had damaged heart
2079.599 -> valves and swelling in the lungs
2082.55 -> [Music]
2083.839 -> she was
2084.8 -> all swollen in her body her legs were
2086.96 -> starting to swollen
2089.76 -> starting to get breathless short of
2091.44 -> breath
2092.77 -> [Music]
2094.8 -> despite having been in heart failure for
2097.359 -> weeks shakaya was discharged from alice
2100.56 -> springs hospital to drive to doumaji
2103.839 -> with a letter saying she needed to see a
2106.4 -> cardiologist
2109.359 -> but on the way she fell ill again and
2112.32 -> was admitted to tenant creek hospital
2115.359 -> once again
2116.56 -> she was discharged
2120.4 -> and i was like okay should they fly out
2122.64 -> to adelaide straight away
2124.24 -> i reckon no no they're releasing her
2125.839 -> they're wicking so we can drive her back
2127.28 -> to dumaji
2128.64 -> i was kind of a little bit concerned i
2130 -> was like a bit shocked
2134.88 -> by the time shikaya arrived at dumaji
2137.92 -> she was gravely ill
2144 -> on the friday night i get a phone call
2145.44 -> from weenie saying you know chica is
2147.68 -> really sick she's not well we've gone to
2149.68 -> the hospital
2151.04 -> and they just sent us home
2153.76 -> with panadol
2156.48 -> there's a history and records at dumaji
2160.32 -> at the hospital around who shikaya is
2163.119 -> what her records are what she needs
2166.48 -> and just remember they've also had
2168.8 -> the issue with my sister adele
2171.44 -> only two months ago
2173.68 -> that
2174.72 -> presented with the same similar uh i
2177.68 -> guess signs of rheumatic fever you know
2179.599 -> the swollen legs the breathing you know
2181.68 -> the elevated heart all the issues around
2184.079 -> that show that she was in die straight
2186.24 -> and needed medical help
2188.079 -> straight away
2189.359 -> they actually gave her um panadol as
2192 -> well
2193.04 -> and i just walked out and i didn't
2194.8 -> wanted to sit in there i didn't want to
2196.32 -> listen to her how they acted
2198.48 -> and wanted to treat her
2201.119 -> they made me so angry i didn't want to
2203.119 -> listen to the words
2207.119 -> the family gave up on doumiji hospital
2209.92 -> and drove a hundred kilometers to a
2212.32 -> clinic at burketown
2215.68 -> from there shikaya was flown to mount
2218.4 -> isa hospital and then on to townsville
2222.48 -> at townsville hospital she waited for
2224.88 -> eight days to fly to brisbane where she
2227.92 -> could have surgery
2232.48 -> it was actually i'm begging the doctors
2234.8 -> to you know and asking them what time
2236.56 -> does the plane comes in
2240.16 -> it took maybe a week or two you know and
2242.8 -> we just kept on begging them they keep
2245.04 -> on ringing and saying they were saying
2246.88 -> the plane was elsewhere flying
2249.3 -> [Music]
2254.079 -> by the time she got to brisbane she had
2256.16 -> been in almost six different hospitals
2259.28 -> you know alice springs
2261.119 -> tennant creek
2262.72 -> doumaji
2263.839 -> clinic in berktown
2266 -> madison
2267.28 -> townsville
2268.56 -> now brisbane and and this whole time the
2270.88 -> whole period she'd been in heart failure
2274.72 -> so i got to shakaya literally the night
2277.599 -> before she went in for her surgery
2285.359 -> now it's the last conversation i had
2286.88 -> with her i told her that she was going
2288.32 -> to be safe
2290 -> and she was going to be okay and that
2291.839 -> the spirits would be with it
2297.119 -> they said it was going to be okay the
2298.88 -> doctor told me they all told me
2301.839 -> she's only going in and coming out
2303.52 -> that's all they said
2306.32 -> but it wasn't okay
2311.599 -> after surgery shakaya went into multiple
2315.52 -> organ failure
2319.68 -> she went right down everything just
2321.92 -> failed at kidneys
2324.96 -> and leave our lungs
2331.04 -> one time i got to her
2333.2 -> she her brain was dead
2339.599 -> that little sick heart of hers was
2341.28 -> really big
2347.359 -> it was
2348.64 -> it was a really big heart
2350.56 -> she had so much love to give
2353.69 -> [Music]
2356.96 -> on the 12th of september 2020
2360.32 -> the family said their goodbyes
2363.839 -> the life support machine was switched
2366.16 -> off
2366.5 -> [Music]
2368.72 -> died three months shy of her 18th
2371.68 -> birthday
2372.5 -> [Music]
2380.88 -> the system
2382.48 -> failed her
2384 -> the health system failed
2387.2 -> and if i don't speak for her now and i
2388.88 -> don't tell the story it's going to fail
2391.359 -> somebody else again really soon
2394.74 -> [Music]
2403.28 -> late on friday the day after being
2406 -> contacted by four corners the queensland
2409.119 -> coroner announced an inquest into the
2412 -> deaths of the three women
2413.84 -> [Music]
2415.92 -> queensland health minister yvette darth
2418.64 -> told four corners in a statement the
2421.04 -> women's deaths were tragic and clearly
2424.56 -> the patients have been badly let down
2428.96 -> she says she expects any allegations
2431.52 -> about the standard of care at doumaji
2434 -> hospital to be investigated
2437.85 -> [Music]
2442.88 -> there's a lot of
2444.56 -> wrong
2445.68 -> things happening in the hospital that a
2447.599 -> lot of people lost their lives
2450.079 -> we've got to get up we've got to stand
2451.44 -> up and start
2452.8 -> saying something otherwise
2454.96 -> it'll keep happening to us
2456.91 -> [Music]
2460.24 -> adele sandy's husband edgar has formally
2463.44 -> complained to queensland's human rights
2466.079 -> commission
2467.2 -> alleging racial discrimination by
2469.76 -> doumiji hospital
2474.079 -> i think that they didn't
2476.4 -> think that i'll take it this far you
2477.76 -> know go to four corners
2479.68 -> get a lawyer
2481.599 -> you know
2482.64 -> because if i didn't do this you know who
2485.599 -> knows what they would have been doing
2487.04 -> after this
2488.48 -> it probably would have been just
2490 -> it was
2492.24 -> doing the same thing you know like not
2494.16 -> treating our people the right way
2496.16 -> we need to be treated just like
2497.52 -> everybody else
2498.88 -> yep
2500.48 -> i don't think i'll forget about adele
2504.16 -> how could you i can't
2507.52 -> i can't even talk about it but a bit of
2509.599 -> little
2511.52 -> tears rolling down my eye even if i go
2513.839 -> to say happy birthday or her death
2516.24 -> anniversary or burial day
2519.359 -> i sing out a lot to them girls let's
2522.319 -> sing out to them they heard this mistake
2524.96 -> singing at her name
2526.8 -> i think she's with us yeah
2530.96 -> she's always be with us
2543.599 -> betty booth's sister denise visits the
2546.16 -> graveyard every day
2548.64 -> she was diagnosed with rheumatic heart
2550.64 -> disease the same day as betty
2554 -> she's 19.
2559.839 -> she's like
2561.359 -> we miss her
2563.28 -> and
2565.52 -> miss her voice
2567.92 -> and everything here smiles
2570.88 -> and that
2574.319 -> and then
2581.44 -> and them kids they want to have a future
2585.2 -> they're not helping us they're killing
2586.88 -> us
2590.16 -> they're not helping us they don't care
2592.96 -> about us they don't
2595.76 -> if they did they did care
2598.079 -> would have betty would have been still
2599.76 -> here shikaya would have been still here
2602.64 -> adele adele would have been still here
2606.319 -> governments
2607.839 -> are
2609.92 -> our federal government has the power to
2612 -> change this they are the only people
2615.68 -> a prime minister has the power to put an
2618.48 -> end to this
2620.319 -> they're not asking for something fancy
2622.4 -> they're not asking for something magic
2624.8 -> we're asking for delivery of the health
2627.44 -> solutions that have been known to
2629.2 -> mainstream australia for over 50 years
2634.16 -> our children are having open heart
2636.8 -> surgery
2638.16 -> our children
2639.76 -> four years old eight years old 12 years
2642.72 -> old
2643.839 -> and then they're expected to go back to
2645.68 -> a remote community living overcrowded
2647.76 -> conditions without the range of support
2650.48 -> services
2651.68 -> you know
2652.56 -> i mean
2653.839 -> it's just
2655.28 -> if that was a white kid
2657.28 -> in middle class sydney
2659.28 -> you know
2660.24 -> there'd be an up rule okay
2663.44 -> but it's not a white kid
2665.68 -> you know
2667.04 -> it's an aboriginal kid living in the
2668.8 -> bush
2670.4 -> is that child deserve any less
2673.599 -> than
2674.4 -> a white kid living in middle class
2675.92 -> sydney
2676.96 -> no
2683.6 -> [Music]
2693.45 -> [Applause]
2705.07 -> [Music]
2716.16 -> you
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJHFUw0NXzw