DARWIN, Australia – An inquiry into the death of a 37-year-old Indigenous man in custody has uncovered multiple failings in the healthcare system of Darwin’s Holtze prison, a maximum security facility in Australia’s Northern Territory.
The deceased, known as Mr. Dooley for cultural reasons, was a Maiyali man from the small community of Eva Valley. He passed away at the Royal Darwin Hospital after suffering a heart attack while serving a six-month sentence for assault.
During the coronial inquest – a required process for any death in custody – it was revealed that Mr. Dooley had been unmedicated for high cholesterol and a high cardiac risk before presenting to the prison clinic with dizziness and dangerously low blood pressure.
The inquiry heard testimonies from family members and medical professionals, highlighting a series of missed opportunities and inadequate healthcare provided to Mr. Dooley during his time in prison. Additionally, concerns were raised about deficiencies in communication between prison officers, medical staff, and prisoners with complex health needs, as well as the lack of Aboriginal liaison officers within prisons.
Cardiologist and expert witness Kenneth Hossack stated that Mr. Dooley should have been referred to a cardiologist within seven days of an abnormal ECG scan in early September. He opined that if hospitalization had occurred earlier, Mr. Dooley would have had a greater than 50 percent chance of survival.
The lack of Aboriginal interpreters within the prison system was also pointed out, as they could have facilitated better communication about Mr. Dooley’s health condition in his first language of Kriol.
These revelations have sparked discussions about the need for improved healthcare practices and communication within the prison system, as well as the challenges in providing adequate medical care to Indigenous inmates with complex health needs.