"All that sort of stuff took away the emphasis of why he actually died," she said.
The Northern Territory Coroner has ruled out arsenic poisoning as the cause of death of a Top End teenager.Coroner Greg Cavanagh today found Ben Witham, 17, died of complications relating to leukaemia at Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital in May last year.
He also noted that the medical care provided to him at the onset of severe abdominal pain until he had surgery 17 hours later was not of an adequate standard.
"Ben never recovered from this event and I find it to be a contributing cause to his death," Coroner Cavanagh said in his findings.
Ben Witham's death sparked a major public health emergency in the Northern Territory after a urine sample indicated the teenager had arsenic levels 14 times the safe limit.
Coroner Greg Cavanagh has found that sample was either contaminated or an error.
The initial result prompted Northern Territory authorities to test residents for arsenic poisoning at Mount Bundy Station, south of Darwin, where the teenager lived with his family.
A local doctor, who had no prior experience interpreting arsenic test results, incorrectly thought the results showed elevated levels of arsenic in some of the residents.
Station evacuated
Concerned that other people living in the area could be at risk of arsenic poisoning, the coroner ordered Mount Bundy Station to be declared a restricted area.
The popular tourist destination was evacuated and forced to close for several days.
But further tests on residents and bore water in the area showed no evidence of elevated arsenic levels, leading authorities to reopen the station.
The coroner said the closure of the station and testing of the residents was "appropriate to the reported information".
But he added: "it is clear that the information provided about the residents' urine results was wrong."
He said at the time there was "inadequate reliable information available about arsenic, how people might be exposed to it, and the dangers it posed".
He said the Northern Territory Department of Health has since put in place a number of measures to improve procedures if such an event occurs again.
In light of these measures, the coroner did not make any recommendations following Ben Witham's death.
Outside court, the teenager's father, Scott Witham said today's findings brought some closure.
"It's the end of the legal process, but obviously for us life's still pretty tough and goes on," he said.
The boy's mother, Susan Witham, said the incorrect arsenic reading and the subsequent closure of Mount Bundy Station, were distractions.
"All that sort of stuff took away the emphasis of why he actually died," she said.
The Northern Territory Coroner has ruled out arsenic poisoning as the cause of death of a Top End teenager.
Coroner Greg Cavanagh today found Ben Witham, 17, died of complications relating to leukaemia at Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital in May last year. He also noted that the medical care provided to him at the onset of severe abdominal pain until he had surgery 17 hours later was not of an adequate standard. "Ben never recovered from this event and I find it to be a contributing cause to his death," Coroner Cavanagh said in his findings.
Ben Witham's death sparked a major public health emergency in the Northern Territory after a urine sample indicated the teenager had arsenic levels 14 times the safe limit. Coroner Greg Cavanagh has found that sample was either contaminated or an error. The initial result prompted Northern Territory authorities to test residents for arsenic poisoning at Mount Bundy Station, south of Darwin, where the teenager lived with his family.
A local doctor, who had no prior experience interpreting arsenic test results, incorrectly thought the results showed elevated levels of arsenic in some of the residents. Station evacuated Concerned that other people living in the area could be at risk of arsenic poisoning, the coroner ordered Mount Bundy Station to be declared a restricted area.
The popular tourist destination was evacuated and forced to close for several days. But further tests on residents and bore water in the area showed no evidence of elevated arsenic levels, leading authorities to reopen the station. The coroner said the closure of the station and testing of the residents was "appropriate to the reported information". But he added: "it is clear that the information provided about the residents' urine results was wrong." He said at the time there was "inadequate reliable information available about arsenic, how people might be exposed to it, and the dangers it posed". He said the Northern Territory Department of Health has since put in place a number of measures to improve procedures if such an event occurs again. In light of these measures, the coroner did not make any recommendations following Ben Witham's death.
Outside court, the teenager's father, Scott Witham said today's findings brought some closure. "It's the end of the legal process, but obviously for us life's still pretty tough and goes on," he said. The boy's mother, Susan Witham, said the incorrect arsenic reading and the subsequent closure of Mount Bundy Station, were distractions.
"All that sort of stuff took away the emphasis of why he actually died," she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment