Death in custody of young Aboriginal man Mr Yeeda was likely preventable, WA coroner finds – Michmutters
Categories
Australia

Death in custody of young Aboriginal man Mr Yeeda was likely preventable, WA coroner finds

A 19-year-old Aboriginal man’s death would likely have been prevented if multiple state authorities had not failed to arrange a life-or-death medical appointment, according to the WA state coroner.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story contains an image of a person who has died.

Mr Yeeda, whose first name is being held for cultural reasons, died on May 3, 2018 at the West Kimberley Regional Prison near Derby.

The Miriuwung Gajerrong man was six weeks away from being released when he died from rheumatic heart disease after a game of basketball at the facility.

“He was looking forward to life,” said his mother Marlene Carlton, who released a written statement through the National Justice Project.

“He wanted to do his time so he could come out and live with his dad on a station and work with horses.”

According to the state coroner’s findings released this week, Mr Yeeda had rheumatic heart disease and had a referral to see a cardiologist about getting heart surgery.

However, an appointment for Mr Yeeda was never made.

Surgery likely would have prevented death

Based on an inquest held in September, the WA coroner concluded the young man would likely have been told he needed urgent heart surgery if he had made the appointment.

“If Mr Yeeda had undergone aortic valve replacement surgery, it is likely that his death would have been prevented,” a summary statement from the coroner said.

A picture of Mr Yeeda smiling on a horse, holding his hat in the air with Kimberley rock formations behind him
The WA coroner has found Mr Yeeda’s death would likely have been prevented if not for failings in the health and justice systems.(Supplied: National Justice Project)

The coroner added that the WA Country Health Service bore the ultimate responsibility for the referral not being actioned, while the Department of Justice missed an opportunity by not having a computer-based tracking system to make sure urgent prisoner referrals were not missed.

“The WA Country Health Service feels deeply for the deceased’s family,” a spokesperson for the service said.

“While we can never replace their loss, we are working closely with all concerned on the recommendations outlined by the coroner.”

The Department of Justice said it acknowledged the findings of the coroner.

“All deaths in custody are taken seriously and systems and processes will be reviewed in light of the coroner’s recommendations,” the department said in a statement.

WA Cardiology also missed a number of opportunities to assist, according to the coroner.

The service has been contacted for comment.

Coronar’s recommendations

The coroner recommended that the Department of Justice work together with the country health service to improve the exchange of information about the status of referrals, and address tracking system delays created by a lack of resources in the department.

The third and final recommendation was for the department to investigate the feasibility of creating a list that would alert prison officers if an inmate was unfit for sport or work.

Mr Yeeda had been in custody for about one year when he died, having been taken into the facility on May 5, 2017.

.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *