On Thursday, 26 March, Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton compared medical facilities on Nauru to hospitals in regional Australia or a field hospital in Afghanistan.
Neither regional Australia, nor troops in Afghanistan would accept the shocking level of medical care on Nauru.
In the last week two incidents have raised more questions about the safety of refugees on Nauru and the quality of medical care. Last Tuesday, 24 March, a Pakistani refugee broke his forearm in a motorcycle accident but has been left waiting a week for surgery to set the break.
Yesterday, Saturday 28 March, a 50 year-old Iranian refugee required hospital treatment after she was attacked by dogs.
The woman, who has two children, was knocked over and left with numerous serious bites after three dogs attacked her as she was walking near one of the main supermarkets. (See photos)
Wild dogs are a major safety problem on Nauru, where rabies is also endemic. It is not known if asylum seekers or refugees on Nauru are routinely vaccinated for rabies.
Refugee left a week to set a broken arm
The Pakistani refugee whose forearm was fractured in the motorbike accident on Tuesday 24 March, had been told to return to the hospital for the bone to be set on Wednesday 25 March. (See photos)
On Wednesday, he was told the hospital was too busy and told to come back on Thursday when he was told to come back on Friday.
When he went to the hospital on Friday, he was told that the hospital had run out of water and that he should come back on Monday 30 March.
“It is anyone’s guess whether the refugee will finally get surgery to set his broken arm tomorrow,“ said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition, “But it clear that the medical facilities are not up to standard. Perhaps Peter Dutton would like to reveal which Australian regional hospitals and which military hospitals have run out of water recently.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713. (Other photos available on request)
