MELBOURNE — The death of an elderly patient from chemotherapy drug toxicity was “entirely preventable”, Victorian Coroner Rosemary Carlin said.

Ian John Gilbert, 77, from Melbourne, died in February 2015 after being prescribed methotrexate for a skin condition, after “extreme concerns” expressed by the dispensing pharmacist about the dose prescribed by the patient’s GP Dr Stephen LIM who assured the pharmacist the dose was correct.

“Mr Gilbert’s death from complications of methotrexate toxicity was needless and entirely preventable,” Coroner Carlin said.

“If appropriate tests had been conducted by his GP, they would have shown that his pre-existing medical conditions contraindicated the use of methotrexate at all.”

“The fact the drug was intended to treat a non-life-threatening skin condition makes his death all the more tragic and the decisions to prescribe and dispense all the more inexplicable.”

The coroner suggested the federal government look into making methotrexate an “authority required medication”.

SYDNEY — Another gynaecological/obstetric “butcher” on the loose — nothing new there.  Emil Shawky GAYED.

This one trained in Cairo, Egypt.  Currently suspended for an inadequate period (this is the fault of our medical regulators).  He’ll be re-applying before long.  His welfare will be considered before his harmed patients (another fault of our medical regulators).

Amazing how NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard is suddenly appalled at Gayed’s malpractice.  Gayed has had a track record of medical malpractice for years and the health minister doesn’t know of it!  How come Medical Error Action Group knows and reported such to his health ministry years ago?

No matter who complains about these unfit medicos, and the harm and devastating outcomes women suffer from, patients complaints are generally ignored and not ever taken seriously.  One wonders how many patients have to be harmed before medical regulators act, really act?  See previous on what we think of AHPRA.

Read more from The Guardian Melissa Davey’s stories:

Surgeon performed unnecessary hysterectomies without consent, tribunal told

Health minister Brad Hazzard appalled at evidence against Emil Gayed

Emil Gayed, obstetrician and gynaecologist, alleged to have performed unnecessary and irreversible operations on patients

CANBERRA, ACT —

Yes indeedy.  They don’t have a best-before date either.  85 of them have been and gone since Medical Error Action Group was founded.

Our latest FEDERAL health minister GREG HUNT is another non-performer.

He stupidly had the Minister for Sport write to us.  Clueless.  God help the sporting fraternity.  We’ll probably hear from Minister for Defence next!

Don’t think the apology to the Mayor of Katherine NT is a oncer.  There’s more.

HUNT is embroiled in another “incident”.  Stay tuned…

KATHERINE, NORTHERN TERRITORY —

Australia’s Minister for Health GREG HUNT MP eventually found time to apologise to the Mayor of Katherine NT for his foul-mouthed tirade, boorish and intimidatory behaviour.

Katherine is in the “Top End” of Australia and about 320km south-east of Darwin.

Hunt has been minister for 16 months and this is his No 1 performance to date.

This is the same minister who cannot apologise, let alone answer correspondence, to the thousands of Australians who contracted contaminated blood and have died waiting for an apology, as directed by The Senate, as well as assistance.  As for the criminal neglect of our blood supply, Hunt is another minister who condoned the Australian Red Cross Blood Supply criminal cover-up.

Many other issues MEAG has brought to the minister’s attention in the last year he ignores.  Hunt is just another minister who doesn’t read anything, just issues abuse.  In other words, he has nothing to say.

READ MORE:

Greg Hunt tirade at Katherine mayor, forced to apologise

Greg Hunt apologises for foul-mouthed tirade | The Australian

Greg Hunt federal environment minister forced to apologise to mayor | Daily Mail UK

CANBERRA —

ACT Health at it again!  ‘Doctoring’ anything interfering with ACT Health’s agenda.

Calvary Hospital, The Canberra Hospital…  What is it that the ACT Government, i.e. Australian Capital Territory, doesn’t want the public to know?  Lots we surmise.  And lots we know.

These are hospitals which have their misdeeds covered-up by their own territory government.

READ MORE IN TODAY’S CANBERRA TIMES:

Calvary Hospital staff ordered to ‘manipulate’ waiting lists by ACT Health

MELBOURNE —

CANBERRA, ACT — Senator Katy Gallagher’s dishonesty has finally caught up with her.

Her maiden speech to The Senate detailed her overseas citizenship connection but she was blind to being in breach of the federal parliament’s rule meaning she was ineligible to sit in the Senate.  But she refused to budge and continued to illegally occupy a Senate seat.

Now the High Court of Australia has determined she is ineligible so she’s out.

What a waste of taxpayer’s money Gallagher has caused by her stalling, obfuscation and denials but that’s nothing new.  It is what she did as ACT Chief Minister and ACT Health Minister leaving doctors and nurses fearful to speak up about hospital failures in her Territory.  As for patients of the ACT who complained of maltreatment?  They were dismissed, ignored and treated with contempt.

As ACT Chief Minister she could overrule herself as ACT Health Minister – go figure that conflict out – and keep scandals under wraps.

CANBERRA, ACT – Katy Gallagher’s citizenship breach of the Australian parliament is a continuation of covering up her secrets, but let’s go back a bit.

For the past 8 years rumblings about ACT Health, The Canberra Hospital, John James Hospital, Calvary Hospitals, just keep bubbling to the surface.

Katy Gallagher was ACT Health Minister from April 2006 to December 2014.

What Katy did next?

She quit the ACT parliament mid-term and slithered into the Australian Senate leaving her ACT secrets secret.

Scandals she managed to keep a lid on have re-surfaced. Another inquiry into ACT Health has been announced. But what happened to the 2017 inquiry? And the 2012 inquiry?

Back in February 2010 nine obstetricians had quit in the previous 13 months amid bullying claims at The Canberra Hospital. A hostile work environment led to the exodus.

Then in April 2012 The Canberra Hospital data tampering scandal erupted and Gallagher stepped away from the inquiry citing conflict of interest with the senior executive, alleged to have doctored emergency department data to make the ED’s performance look better, who had a personal connection to Chief Minister Gallagher’s family.

During her health ministerial days, health and other scandals kept on surfacing.

As Chief Minister, Katy had the temerity and power to shut down any inquiry into her Health ministry.  Citing conflict of interest with TCH was one way out, but wasn’t the real conflict being both ACT Chief Minister and ACT Health Minister?

Or was the ACT Health ministerial portfolio one which required a cover-up gatekeeper?

What Katy did next?  You tell us.

LAUNCESTON, TASMANIA —

Worrying times continue for patients with Launceston General Hospital (LGH) losing its accreditation to provide emergency department medicine.

There’s not enough specialists.

This comes after less than 2 years ago when 9 of 11 specialist doctors from the hospital’s Emergency Department resigned.  The shortage of beds “bed block” meant patients could not be transferred out of the ED for patients to be admitted.

Doctors and nurses described conditions as ‘unsafe’ and ‘dangerous’.

READ MORE

Disaster as LGH loses its accreditation

Staffing conditions making Launceston hospital dangerous

Think Australia’s medical board — AHPRA — Australian Health Practitioner Agency.

Who will guard the guards themselves?