Meningococcal death raises serious questions at DHB

The recommendations made to Wellington DHB following an inquiry into the death of a 25-year old Wellington woman from meningitis must be taken very seriously, says National’s Associate Health spokesman, Paul Hutchison.

The woman, Nileema Sharan, died after leaving Wellington Hospital’s A&E without treatment. She had waited for three hours.

“The coroners report, released today, is an indictment of basic medical process at Wellington Hospital,” says Dr Hutchison.

One expert witness stated that anyone who had been lying in an emergency department for three hours ought to have their vital signs documented.

“It is hugely worrying that basic things like pulse, temperature and blood pressure as well as clinical history were not accurately recorded in the three hours that this patient waited at Wellington DHB’s accident and emergency clinic,” says Dr Hutchison

“The court’s recommendations were aimed at Wellington DHB but are applicable to all health providers.

“This tragic death must make all A&E clinics reinforce their best practice guidelines to prevent further tragedies,” says Dr Hutchison.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>