Cyclone Olwyn: Aboriginal people denied access to cyclone shelter 
Αρνήθηκαν την πρόσβαση σε πέντε ηλικιωμένους Αβορίγινες με ιατρικά προβλήματα, για να προστατευτούν από την επίδραση του σοβαρού Τροπικού κυκλώνα Olwyn, για έως και επτά ώρες να βρουν καταφύγιο στο νοσοκομείο Carnarvon, είπε ο Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος της ιατρικής υπηρεσίας των Αβορίγινων…
ΑΥΤΗ ΕΙΝΑΙ Η ΣΥΜΠΕΡΙΦΟΡΑ ΤΩΝ ΚΑΤΑΚΤΗΤΩΝ… ΠΑΝΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΝΤΑ…
George Christodoulou SHAME…..SHAME…. SHAME…. ΝΤΡΟΠΉ…ΝΤΡΟΠΉ… ΝΤΡΟΠΉ…
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Cyclone Olwyn: Aboriginal people denied access to cyclone shelter
Five
elderly Aboriginal people with medical conditions were declined access
for up to seven hours from the Carnarvon cyclone shelter and hospital,
ahead of the impact of Severe Tropical Cyclone Olwyn, the CEO of the
Aboriginal medical service says.
«They
were told to go to the hospital, the hospital declined. And then they
were told to go to the evac (evacuation) centre where they were also
declined,» said Shane Van Styn, the CEO of the Carnarvon Aboriginal
Medical Service (CAMS).
Category
three Severe Tropical Cyclone Olwyn was moving south towards the West
Australian coastline north of Carnarvon on Thursday 12th March.
Authorities had ordered the evacuation of the tourism community of Coral
Bay, 240 kilometres north of the town, and this was the reason given to
Mr Van Styn for denying entry to the five residents of Mungullah
Aboriginal community.
«We
were told by the volunteer there that they were under strict instruction
that the evac centre was only for people from Coral Bay and that they
won’t be accepting our Aboriginal people from Mungullah Village,» he
said.
Evacuation
The
five Aboriginal people had been asked to leave Mungullah after CAMS and
the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) had visited their
community just seven kilometres outside of Carnarvon.
«After
2010 when people were airlifted out of this village because of
roadblocks and flooding, that was the whole reason for DFES sending
people in early this time to help get Mungullah prepared because it did
require very expensive airlifting of the patients. We were looking to
avoid that,» said Mr Van Styn
«There were four elderly people including amputees on dialysis, and one younger person suffering severe personal health issues.»
CAMS
remote community support officer Patrick Parrelli says that DFES
initially asked him to transport the five Mungullah residents to the
Carnarvon hospital.
«It was a decision from DFES, and they did talk to the hospital, that we will be able to transport the evacuees there,» he said.
But three hours after Mr Parrelli left the five Aboriginal people at the hospital, he learned they hadn’t yet been admitted.
«When
DFES called me back at about 3.30 here, they were concerned themselves
that those guys were not admitted in yet, and pretty much got me
prepared to now look at option “B” which was to get those people to the
evacuation centre.»
Mr Parrelli said that he got mixed messages from the hospital about why the Mungullah residents had not been admitted.
«When
we did ring earlier in the morning, there was 35 beds available. But by
two hours later there was no beds available, was the reasoning we got.»
Access denied
But
after the five Aboriginal people were transported from the hospital to
the government cyclone shelter administered by the Department of Child
Protection, the CAMS CEO, Mr Van Styn received a call saying they were
not being admitted there either.
«Before
I arrived to try and come and resolve the issue, they were sitting on
the chairs outside as they weren’t allowed inside the centre,» he said.
As
well as being told the centre was only for evacuees from Coral Bay, Mr
Van Styn said he was given a number of other reason why the Mungullah
residents could not enter the then empty evacuation centre.
«To
sit there staring at an empty evacuation centre with five Aboriginal
residents of Mungullah Village and being told, “There’s no room, no
food, not sufficient power, the air-conditioning doesn’t work, the
bedding’s not right, you’re not from Coral Bay,” is pretty concerning.»
The
Aboriginal medical service CEO said as other people began to arrive at
the Carnarvon cyclone shelter, he was alarmed that no one else was
declined entry.
«Given
the fact the centre was empty and we were the first five and they were
elderly and frail, then seeing a couple of European, tall strong fit
backpacker guys, walk straight past while we had our dispute, and being
signed in and to grab a seat and make themselves at home, was a bit
upsetting.»
Intervention
Negotiations over where the five Aboriginal people could be sheltered continued on into the evening of March 12.
«We
met again with hospital representatives, and then again we met with evac
centre representatives. And for one gentleman, after a period of
approximately seven hours, he was finally admitted into the shared room
at the hospital for more acute care,» he said.
It
took the intervention of a DFES officer to finally get the remaining
Mungullah residents into the cyclone shelter according to Mr Van Styn.
«He
was required to explain his authority and the ability to make the call
to be able to allow people to check in… My reading of the situation was
that he was actually quite shocked that he was unable to have these five
people gain access to an evacuation centre pre a cyclone.»
Mr Van
Styn said that considering the widespread damage that was ultimately
inflicted by Cyclone Olwyn on Carnarvon, he’s troubled by the experience
and wonders what may have happened if CAMS and DFES were not able to
intervene on behalf of the Mungullah residents.
«I’m a
bit concerned with what would have happened to these guys simply
sitting outside the centre. I’m sure humanity would have come along and
let them in at some point, but it just shouldn’t have come to that.»
The
ABC contacted the WA Department of Health and Department of Child
Protection in relation to this story, but had not received a response at
the time of publishing.
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