Ross Cooper of Wolumla has regularly travelled to the Solomon Islands, and given his recent experience at Bega's hospital he could be forgiven for thinking he'd have had better care over there.
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Earlier this month, Mr Cooper, 66, thought he had a case of "man flu". However it turned out he had contracted malaria during his most recent visit to the Solomons, where he has helped build a school and organised medical and educational resources with assistance from the Pambula Public School and sports communities.
The treatment, or lack thereof, that he subsequently received at the South East Regional Hospital, has led to both he and his GP penning official letters of complaint to the Health Care Complaints Commission and SERH administration.
He shared his harrowing story with Australian Community Media this week.
"I had not been feeling very well for over a week and I just kept thinking it was 'man flu' and I'd eventually get over it.
"Things got worse and I made an appointment with my doctor, James Boyd, at 11am on August 8. After leaving his clinic I went straight to Capital Pathology in Merimbula to have a blood sample taken.
"At 5.20pm I got a phone call from Dr Boyd telling me he had just got a call from pathology informing him I had malaria. He told me I needed to get myself to Bega hospital immediately.
"I arrived at the emergency department at 6pm and was put on a bed straight away, and a blood sample was taken."
However, Mr Cooper said it wasn't until 11.30pm that a doctor arrived to ask if any results from the bloodwork had been received. Upon advice from Canberra Hospital, that doctor told Mr Cooper he would be given the necessary medication and sent home.
"About 11.45pm the night supervisor arrived and the first thing she said was that there were no drugs and I'd probably have to go to Canberra.
"I said that my wife had malaria back in May and I thought that would have been a 'wake up call' - to which she replied 'it's where we live'."
Mr Cooper said that despite having ambulance cover most of his life, he was told the ambulances wouldn't take him to Canberra and that he would have to make his own way there.
I replied my wife cannot drive at night and she said 'just take her with you.'
- Ross Cooper
With limited petrol, Mr Cooper made the decision not to return to Wolumla to pick up his wife first, instead making the nearly three-hour trip across the border by himself in the middle of the night, still suffering all the symptoms of the debilitating infectious disease.
"There were a few snowflakes on top of Brown Mountain but I arrived in Cooma around 2.30am and managed to get fuel, then finally arrived at Canberra Hospital at 4am.
"I went to emergency and was put on a bed where monitoring started straight away. The doctors were a bit baffled as to why I was sent from Bega.
"I was transferred to a ward and treatment began."
Mr Cooper was released from Canberra Hospital around 12pm on Monday, August 12 - four days after presenting to SERH.
Mr Cooper still needs follow-up blood tests to check the infection is out of his system, but is more concerned about his experience and if others could find themselves in the same situation.
He and his treating doctor have alerted both SERH administration and the Health Department to this situation, and wondering whether the Solomon Island hospital system would have done any better.
The HCCC confirmed the complaint was currently being assessed by the Commission.
"This will involve seeking further information about the allegations and relevant clinical records. Subject to the provision of any further detail required of the complainant and the receipt of any and all relevant provider responses and clinical records, the assessment occurs over a period of 60 days," the HCCC told the BDN in response to an inquiry.
What is malaria?
According to the World Health Organisation, malaria kills more than 400,000 people annually.
The mosquito-borne infection presents with flu symptoms including fever, headaches, vomiting, tiredness, and in extreme cases seizures, coma and death.
According to the NSW Health Department, malaria is not present in mainland Australia but people can contract it when travelling to tropical and sub-tropical countries where it is.
It is transmitted via mosquito bite, but in rare cases can be transmitted from person to person through blood transfusions or sharing needles.
Ben Smyth
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
