Waanyi, Garawa and Gangalidda lore man Alec Doomadgee says Queensland should eradicate rheumatic heart disease in Aboriginal communities before it hosts the Olympic Games next decade.
Mr Doomadgee was speaking ahead of the resumption of a Coronial Inquest Monday in Cairns, examining the deaths of three women from the preventable disease in Doomadgee over a two-year period.
The inquest is looking into the adequacy of care provided by Doomadgee Hospital and Gidgee Healing to teenagers Shakaya George and Betty Booth, along with 37-year-old Adele Sandy, who all died between 2019 and 2020.
The inquest is examining the adequacy of healthcare provided by Doomadgee hospital to the women before their deaths. Source: NITV The Point: Tanisha Stanton
First Nations people 'deserve better'
The inquest heard today that since the deaths, just four per cent of people living with Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) in Doomadgee had received every dose of life-saving medication needed.
Monthly painful injections of an antibiotic called Bicillin, or constant medication are needed for the treatment of the preventable disease, which is caused by Acute Rheumatic Fever, the inquest heard.
“It’s like getting toothpaste administered through a very large needle," the former head of Queensland's RHD register Kylie McKenna told the court.
Acute Rheumatic Fever is "easily prevented" by a dose of penicillin, she said.
Mr Doomadgee delivered a powerful address to the hearing, telling the inquest authorities needed to make change, including addressing systemic racism, or more people would die. His fight for answers is a very personal one: Shakaya was Mr Doomadgee's daughter, and Ms Sandy his sister.
"They died due to the treatment they received at the hands of the health system in this country," he said outside of court.
"Systemic racism is rife throughout the health system, institutionalised racism is there. And we must address it."
With millions of dollars expected to be poured in to hosting the Olympics, Mr Doomadgee publicly called on authorities to spend similar amounts on First Nations health.
"I'm going to put a challenge out to the state government of Queensland, to Annastacia Palaszczuk and her state health minister," he told NITV’s The Point.
"With the Brisbane Olympics coming up in 10 years time, how about between now and then we eradicate rheumatic heart disease in the Aboriginal community and the Torres Strait Island communities?
"First Nations people in this country deserve better health care and deserve the right to live to see that Olympics that you actually want to put on in their Country.
"So if you're gonna chuck millions of dollars at that... how about we eradicate the death of Aboriginal [people] that are dying in higher numbers than anywhere in the world?
Queensland Health said in a statement it has committed $4.5 million over the next three years to implement a strategy to end Rheumatic Heart Disease. An extra $2.88 million in funding this financial year will be spent to support 10 communities in northern Queensland with the highest rates of the disease.
The community of Doomadgee wants answers as to why three young women died over a two-year period from a preventable disease. Source: NITV The Point
'Amber alert' system needed for RHD patients
With his history of family tragedy at Doomadgee Hospital about to be relived, Mr Doomadgee also called for more information on the functioning of the institution.
"The truth has to come to the surface on why there's so many deaths in this one community hospital in Doomadgee."
In part, he believes a more integrated system must be implemented to prevent future deaths. He's calling for an 'amber alert' system for people presenting to healthcare facilities with rheumatic heart disease.
"[An] alert goes out to that person's professional specialist... so they have the right health professional, addressing what their symptoms are when it comes to rheumatic heart disease," he said.
"This is something that I feel could be really beneficial to new and upcoming health practitioners out in Aboriginal communities, new doctors that are flying in and out from these communities, that have no idea [of] the history of someone with rheumatic heart disease..."
The inquest opened last month in Doomadgee, and after this week's hearings will resume for a final sitting in September.
Medical experts involved in the care of the three women are expected to testify when the hearing resumes tomorrow.
