ON BAIL BUT NOT ON ANY BLACKLIST

QUEENSLAND’S Health Ombudsman has failed to blacklist a hospital staff member accused of swapping painkillers with a saline solution, risking the possibility of him returning to the sector.

It can be revealed the ombudsman has not issued prohibition orders to stop former Mater Hospital anaesthetic technician Evan Leslie Kajewski, 39, working in health.

That is despite police launching an investigation almost six months ago and arresting him on Tuesday for serious offences.

Police allege patients could have suffered “catastrophic” results when they were given saline instead of the painkilling drug fentanyl during operations.

The Health Minister Cameron Dick has ordered a review into strengthening the drug-handling system.

In a major loophole, anaesthetic technicians are unregulated, despite their access to powerful and highly addictive drugs.

Health Ombudsman Leon Atkinson-MacEwen can issue an interim prohibition order to stop an unregistered health practitioner from working in the sector if considered a risk to public safety.

These orders are on the ombudsman’s website, but at the time of publication no such order appeared to have been issued for Kajewski.

Kajewski, who was released on bail yesterday, is alleged to have stolen fentanyl from the Mater between November and May, according to police documents lodged in court.