Knockback on gastro compo stuns victim

A victim of the Havelock North drinking-water scandal left badly ill for nearly a year has hit out at the Hastings District Council’s “disgusting” compensation process.

Rachael Campbell was one of more than 5000 people to fall ill last year, after the drinking-water supply became contaminated with a serious stomach bug-causing bacteria.

She said after months of illness, numerous trips to hospital and one “very painful” operation, the council’s decision to decline her application for compensation for medical expenses of $500 was “disgusting”.

“It’s just a slap in the face. I did the application through the council and obviously had to go through the doctor.

“I still believe I have a compromised immunity because of campylobacter. I have never been so sick,” she said.

“I first became ill on the Tuesday, on the Wednesday I had an unrelated appointment and the doctor sent me straight to A & E, he was really concerned and they pumped me full of antibiotics.”

After a week off work she was back at the emergency department with severe stomach pain and given very strong intravenous antibiotics.

“Subsequently I had another week off work, and I had to send my daughter away because I couldn’t look after her because I was just too sick.

“Since then I have had to have a haemorrhoidectomy, which is a very unpleasant operation. That was exacerbated because of all the bowel movements . . .

“That was more time off work, because that’s a very painful operation.”

She was in hospital again at Easter, due to a serious infection made worse by a compromised immune system.

“It has just been constant, and it’s a real slap in the face. For them to not even take the time to talk to me and discuss it is disgusting.”

There had been no contact before she was called in to be told her application was declined and there was no review or appeal process.

“How can that be when I wasn’t even spoken to by a (independent) medical professional?”

Hastings District Council would not comment on specific cases or indicate amounts paid out but confirmed 37 applications had been received.

“The two funding councils (Hastings District Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council) took great care to put an independent process in place,” HDC facilities and programmes manager Alison Banks said.

People were eligible for compensation from a $200,000 fund if they had suffered a recognised medical condition that lasted at least six months, with symptoms consistent with campylobacter linked to the water issue. — Hawke’s Bay Today