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Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Aboriginal woman's baby taken before death in custody
An Aboriginal woman's newborn had been taken from her, she was denied parole and then a doctor prescribed her a high dose of synthetic opiates leading to her death. Heather Calgaret's death in custody was preventable and her health in prison had deteriorated from the moment her baby was removed from her at birth, a coroner found on Monday. "Not only was her passing preventable, she should never have passed in the manner that she did," Victorian coroner Sarah Gebert said as she delivered a 300-page finding following an inquest. The proud Yamatji, Noongar, Wongi and Pitjantjatjara woman, 30, had been six months' pregnant when she arrived at Dame Phyllis Frost women's prison in July 2019. The removal of her daughter - which Ms Calgaret had described as "hell" - was a "pivotal moment" in her overall health decline while in custody, Ms Gebert found. She experienced depression, grief, shame and trauma from the child's removal and separation from her three other children, became obese and was diagnosed with diabetes over her next two years in prison. Ms Calgaret pleaded to be released on parole about six months before her death, writing a letter expressing frustration as one of her parole conditions was to complete a program that was not available. "I have been told I need to complete the See Change program to complete parole, Dame Phyllis Frost is not running it," she wrote, as she asked to be permitted to complete the program outside prison. "I have four children that need me, I believe I have suffered enough. "The prison system is holding me back from getting parole ... someone please read and answer my letter." But her letter was never forwarded to the parole board. She had been eligible to be considered for parole seven months after beginning her sentence, but this did not occur until much later and she was denied due to a lack of suitable accommodation. Ms Calgaret had 10 weeks left to serve of her two-year and four-month jail term for armed robbery when she died, after a doctor prescribed her a dosage of opiate replacement therapy that was too high for her tolerance level. "The dose given was too high, there was no escalation to her care until the following morning," Ms Gebert said. "Heather's death could have been prevented." A doctor's prescription of Suboxone - a buprenorphine used to treat opioid dependence - the day before she was found unconscious was "inappropriate and lacked careful consideration", she said. Ms Calgaret's sister Suzzane, who was housed with her at the prison, found her struggling to breathe on the morning of November 23, 2021. She shook Ms Calgaret to let her know it was time for the daily count, but her younger sister was not moving. A "code black" was called and she was taken to hospital where she died four days later. Outside court, Suzzane welcomed the findings but said it should not have taken her sister's death for changes to be made to the prison system. "I hope they just have learned from this because it's taken my sister's life, my mum's daughter's life," she said. "There's a reason now for her passing, and that reason has been justified by the outcome, but it doesn't bring her back." Ms Gebert issued several recommendations, including that the justice system implement community-based Aboriginal health care inside the women's prison. She said women who give birth in custody should be given additional care, including psychological treatment if their babies are removed from them. She also found "numerous issues" with the parole application process, including a lack of transparency in the prison and that Aboriginal people were disproportionately impacted by lack of available treatment. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
ABC News
5 hours ago
- ABC News
News Breakfast: Katie Noonan embarks on nationwide tour setting out to capture the magic of Jeff Buckley
ABC iview Home Watch all your favourite ABC programs on ABC iview. More from ABC We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.
ABC News
6 hours ago
- ABC News
What's the difference between the cold, flu and RSV?
When we're talking about winter illnesses, people use general terms like cold and the flu as if they're the same thing. But while they both tend to make us feel pretty rubbish, there are some key differences between them. At the same time, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is also circulating in the community, causing similar symptoms. Here are the differences between the common cold, the flu and RSV. It's a generic term for an infection that generally affects a person's nose and throat. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause a common cold, most of them being either a type of rhinovirus or coronavirus, Australia's public health information service, Healthdirect, says. "The symptoms of a cold are usually mild," the service's website says. "In most cases, you can treat the symptoms of a mild cold yourself. "Most people will get better by themselves within seven to 10 days without any treatment." The flu is a nickname for influenza. While you may hear people use cold and flu interchangeably, they're actually different diseases. And the flu can be much worse than a cold, Health Direct says. People at risk of developing a severe illness include young children, people over 65 years old and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Pregnancy is also a risk factor for a serious bout of the flu. In serious cases, the flu can lead to pneumonia, breathing difficulties and death. "[But] most people will get better by themselves within seven to 10 days and without any treatment," Healthdirect's website says. RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. While it can affect people of all ages, it's most serious for infants, young children and older adults with chronic health conditions, Health Direct says. It can lead to serious respiratory illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia. "There is no specific treatment for RSV, but having lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids will help you recover," Healthdirect's website says. "Most people recover from RSV in about 10 days." They might sound the same, but there are specific differences between the three. Here's how Health Direct breaks it down: However, Healthdirect says that sometimes symptoms can differ and overlap. Healthdirect has an online service called Symptom Checker that helps you work out if you should see a doctor or treat yourself at home. It asks you a few questions about your symptoms and gives you general advice. It can also help you find a healthcare provider. But, as a guide, Healthdirect has this advice on its flu website: See your doctor if you: While many people won't need specific medical treatment for mild respiratory illnesses, some cases can become quite serious. Healthdirect says people should call triple-0 if someone is having severe difficulty breathing or turning blue. Here are some more warnings on the service's website: "If your baby is younger than 3 months old and has a fever above 38°Celsius, take them to the nearest hospital emergency department immediately, or call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance." "If your child is having difficulty breathing, is turning blue, is grunting or is lethargic, call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance." The service also has these specific warnings about the common cold on its website: See your doctor urgently if you (or your child) have had cold or flu-like symptoms and you: The COVID-19 pandemic had many of us used to the idea that we needed to test ourselves to understand what was causing our illness. We asked Gemma Saravanos, a registered nurse and infectious diseases epidemiologist from the University of Sydney, if there was much point in that now. "Knowing the specific pathogen causing your respiratory illness may not provide a benefit [for treatment], particularly if you have a mild illness and no risk factors for severe disease," Dr Saravanos said. However, there are a lot of benefits to testing. "Home testing kits, or testing in healthcare services such as general practice, can guide our decision-making around infection prevention practices," Dr Saravanos says. "Testing is also important for those who may be eligible for influenza or COVID-19 antiviral medication. "Lastly, testing also serves a public health function. It helps us to understand what pathogens are circulating in the community and this can inform public health advice and research, such as vaccine effectiveness studies." "There are no clear guidelines for respiratory testing in the community," Dr Saravanos says. And it's not always easy — or cheap — to get tested. "Testing may not always be available depending on access and affordability of home testing kits, and laboratory services," Dr Saravanos says. "Without testing, it is very difficult to know what pathogen is causing a respiratory infection, so it's important to be guided by symptoms and modify our behaviours accordingly to avoid spreading infection. "What feels like a mild cold for you may result in a severe illness for another person." So knowing what you have might help you make better choices about where you go and what you do when you're sick. "It's good to know because, for example, I've got parents in their 90s and if I've got a mild cold I might go and see them with a mask," Patrick Reading, director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, said. "But if I've got influenza, that could be really life-threatening to them." "Most respiratory infections can be safely managed at home with rest, hydration and over-the-counter analgesics (such as paracetamol)," Dr Saravanos says. "We do have antivirals to treat COVID-19 and influenza and these are recommended for older adults and those with certain risk factors." We asked Dr Saravanos what sorts of foods people should eat if they wanted to speed up their recovery. But there doesn't appear to be a magic formula. "There is little evidence that foods or supplements will speed up recovery," she says. "Be guided by your symptoms," Dr Saravanos says. "If you are feeling unwell or have active symptoms, it is best practice to stay home, especially in the first few days of illness. "This supports recovery and also reduces the risk of passing the infection on to others." "This depends on a range of factors, including severity of illness and individual characteristics such as immune function and fitness," Dr Saravanos says. "A week may be sufficient for some people, however others will need more time for recovery."
