Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the following story contains images and voices of a person who has died. When 19-year-old Nicholas Roma-Tipungwuti had a stroke, he required urgent interstate transfer for potentially life-saving surgery. But with no aircraft available at Royal Darwin Hospital, it was 18 hours before he arrived in Adelaide, too late to operate, and he later died. Now his family is suing the NT Government for what it says was negligent duty of care.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Nicholas, Roma, Tip and Woody was a keen footballer, was set to join the Navy and at 19 had his
00:09whole life ahead of him.
00:11His death left his mother devastated.
00:14We were always by each other's side, you know, he was my baby, my shadow, my best friend.
00:21All she can do now is carry him with her as she prepares her case against the Northern
00:26Territory Government for not having an aircraft available to get him to Adelaide for brain
00:32surgery after a stroke.
00:34He was the only person that required that service, a service that they're supposed to
00:40provide for Territorians and it wasn't available, well not to him anyway.
00:46Lawyers for Miss Roma say it's unacceptable there was no plane available while the usual
00:51aircraft was under scheduled maintenance.
00:54That level of risk is unacceptable and in this case has tragically caused a preventable
01:01death of a young man which has caused absolute devastation to his family, friends and loved ones.
01:07In a legal document sent to the Northern Territory Government in January this year, Shine lawyers
01:13allege the death was caused by a breach of duty and all the negligence of the Northern
01:19Territory.
01:20The document goes on to say that by the time he arrived at Adelaide Hospital, almost 24
01:26hours after it was recommended he be transferred, it was too late.
01:31A coronial report briefly mentions that an aircraft transfer wasn't immediately available
01:37and that in the deputy coroner's opinion, adequate medical care and support was provided.
01:43When contacted for comment, the NT Government referred the ABC to NT Health.
01:49They declined to answer questions about aircraft or accusations of negligence.
01:54Instead, they offered their condolences to the Roma-Tippinwoody family and said the matter
02:00would be subject to future consideration by a court.
02:04Little consolation to his family.
02:06I think that when I go home that he's going to be there, that he's going to be waiting
02:10for me or waiting to meet my daughter.
02:13A wait that will be eternal, their only hope, legal recourse.
02:19For more UN videos visit www.un.org