Pregnant, sick asylum seeker on Nauru 'continues to be monitored'

The Nauru Health Department has released a statement in response to calls to bring a sick pregnant asylum seeker to Australia saying the Island is in a position to provide proper care.

Nauru

Amnesty International has criticised Broadspectrum for operating Australia's offshore detention centre on Nauru Source: US Department of Energy

The Nauru Health Department has responded to calls to bring a pregnant asylum seeker being held in immigration detention on Nauru to Australia for urgent medical treatment.

it said, "these claims are being made by people who are not on Nauru and not aware of the facts".

"All pregnancies on Nauru are treated with due diligence and care by both Nauruan medical staff and partner health service providers," it said.

"Presented complex cases are carefully treated and medical evacuations are activated with priority if required."
Doctors for Refugees have requested the 37-week pregnant Kuwaiti woman be transferred to Australia to monitor her pre-eclampsia, saying Nauru medical services cannot sufficiently treat her.

Nauru's Health Department said "both mother and baby" continue to be monitored by "skilled and professional medical staff, who have extensive experience in the delivery of babies and pre- and post-natal care".

It is unclear if this means the woman has now had her child.

However Ian Rintoul of the Refugee Action Coalition said the decision to monitor the woman on Nauru was a repeat of Somalian refugee .
Ms Ahmed was reported to have had preeclampsia, a condition that if not treated can developed into eclampsia and cause serious complications for both mother and baby.

She delivered her baby by emergency caesarean on Nauru and was then medically evacuated to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital where she was placed in intensive care.

Mr Rintoul said both Naima and her baby were lucky they had survived.

He said it "beggars belief" that the Nauru government was prepared to take the same risk again, he said.

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Published 2 February 2017 5:56pm
Updated 2 February 2017 7:58pm
By Andrea Booth


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