Transcript
KATE SCHUETZE: This person has been on hunger strike for around twenty days. He has quite a serious medical condition which he's been told they can't adequately treat in Papua New Guinea and instead of transferring him to Australia where he could receive better treatment, he's now been physically restrained at the hospital for three days. They are attempting to force-feed him. He's saying that he's rejecting that treatment. And we're also concerned around reports that the medical staff have slapped him. It sounds like a pretty awful situation there and I think one of the biggest challenges is the healthcare system, even the Pacific International Hospital, has very limited capacity to support very serious health conditions in the country. They lack the equipment and the specialist expertise, particularly when we're talking about the high level of mental health challenges for the refugee and asylum seeker population.
DOMINIC GODFREY: So his medical condition, beyond his mental state, he is physically suffering from diabetes I understand?
KS: Yes, we understand that he has a number of medical conditions. He has received treatment in Australia in the past and then been returned back to Manus Island. Of course we don't have his full medical records at this time but we have been in direct contact with refugees speaking to that person while he's in hospital and restrained.
DG: So being in Australia, having been treated for his medical condition in Australia, Australian authorities are obviously well aware of the conditions that he's facing. What would you say to the authorities there?
KS: Well essentially they're aware of his medical condition. They're aware that they have the capacity to change the situation by immediately bringing him to Australia with the support and the care that he needs. But in addition, they're ultimately responsible for his fate because they're deliberately sending refugees and asylum seekers to a country that doesn't have the capacity to meet their medical needs across the board and because of that the responsibility and onus is on the Australian government to ensure that they do receive adequate healthcare. We're in quite a desperate situation here where a number of people that we spoke to in Port Moresby in November last year are in a very similar situation. They're waiting on medical treatment, PNG doesn't have the medical experts there who can provide ongoing treatment or the necessary specialist care that they need. So they're spending months in limbo. I think that we need to look at the underlying causes for this person going on hunger strike. He is complaining about the poor and inadequate medical treatment that he has been receiving. And all the evidence we've received in the last few days as well as our experience going there last year and talking to people at that hospital, is that they're not they're not going to have the sophisticated means to treat this person there.
DG: They're neglecting their duty of care to this man and it seems deliberate…
KS: It's absolutely deliberate and it's part of these cruel policies of punishment and deterrent. Australia's continuing to shirk its responsibility and continuing to place refugees and asylum seekers in clear and present danger, and it's only a matter of time before it's going to jeopardise someone's right to life.
