‘Left alone to die’
Plea for families’ right to see dying relatives
Agrieving daughter believes her dad’s life was cut short when his family weren’t allowed to support him in hospital as he lay dying. Tania Barker says she wants better leadership from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to ensure families aren’t stripped of their basic right to visit relatives in their final moments.
“It was absolutely disgusting my dad was left alone in hospital for 10 days when he was dying,” Barker told the Herald through tears.
Her comments come after director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield yesterday said his team had begun a review of cases where people sought exemption from lockdown isolation rules, including those denied the right to see their dying relatives.
The review will be completed as soon as possible, Bloomfield said.
But for Barker’s dad — described as “a real gentleman” — it was too late.
She knew her 94-year-old dad didn’t have long to live and after the hospital had refused her and her sister visiting rights they made the heartbreaking decision to bring him home. “We had to pay for our own ambulance. I felt like I was killing him and I remember asking him whether we’d made the right decision and he assured us we had, he couldn’t die alone.” Ken Barker had been battling melanoma for more than a year before he was rushed to Palmerston North Hospital last month.
For 10 days he lay in a hospital bed alone and “it broke him”. “He also said having us around was what kept him going and I think when he was left alone he started to give up.”
Barker and her sister complained to MidCentral District Health Board chief executive Kathryn Cook, who wrote to them saying that to minimise the risk of spreading Covid-19 the decision to restrict patient visits had been established at all district health boards.
The Ministry of Health said that decision was up to each individual DHB.
Barker said despite being told compassionate requests were reviewed case by case it simply wasn’t true.
“On the DHB’s website it said seriously ill or terminally ill patients could be considered to be granted support but we were told it was only if they were terminal.
“It was a total black and white decision based on vague guidelines.”
Barker’s message for Ardern was: “If you want compassion to happen and you can see that it’s patchwork depending on which hospital you are in and who you happen to talk to, then you need to show more leadership from the top.”
She added: “I honestly don’t know how I would have coped if I hadn’t been there in his final moments.”
Despite her family’s hardship, Barker stressed she was proud of the work Ardern had done to stamp out Covid-19 and of the New Zealand public for following the rules. “I just want more leadership on this area.”
It was revealed on Monday that a man in managed self-isolation went to the High Court after the Ministry of Health refused to grant him an exemption to see his dying father.
Oliver Christiansen was able to spend 36 hours with his dad, Anthony Christiansen, who was dying of brain cancer, after the judge overturned the ministry’s decision.
Christiansen told the Herald he was thrilled all other exemption cases were being reviewed.
“Hopefully with empathetic eyes because with hindsight the thought of me not having had that time with my dad and family is unfathomable.
“I sincerely hope it isn’t too late for anyone else but no doubt the clock is ticking.”
Yesterday, Ardern said “these are devastating cases” but 20 people who’d entered the country and were in isolation had tested positive and it showed the risks they carried.
The “whole point” of being able to apply for exemption to isolation was for each case to be considered individually. But authorities didn’t want “double-grief” by allowing unsafe situations.
Ardern said there were some very complicated situations.
It was ultimately the right decision to go back and review the decisions, she said. “Decisions shouldn’t be made in an automated way, they should be given due consideration.”
Bloomfield said the review team were working rapidly because they recognised the time pressures of the requests.