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Horror as man, 55, is sent to morgue in body bag while STILL ALIVE: ‘His eyes were open’
- The man, 55, was in palliative care at Rockingham General Hospital in Perth
- Nurses thought the man was dead and put him in a body bag
- Hospital staff took the man to the morgue without issuing a death certificate
- Doctor claims the man’s eyes were open and had fresh blood on the dress from a wound
- Doctor claims senior staff pressured him to predate the man’s death
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A hospital is under investigation after disturbing allegations that a patient was alive when nurses sent him to the morgue.
The 55-year-old man was in palliative care at Rockingham General Hospital, southwest of Perth, Western Australia, when nurses reportedly decided he was dead and put him in a body bag.
A doctor at the hospital has asked the state coroner to investigate the incident after he was allegedly asked by senior hospital staff to retroactively date the man’s death certificate, according to WA Business News.
A doctor at Rockingham General Hospital claims nurses placed a 55-year-old man in palliative care in a body bag and sent him to the morgue while he was alive (stock image)
The Coroner’s Court in Western Australia has confirmed that an investigation is underway into the man’s death following a request from a doctor at the hospital.
“The court is not making any of those investigations public,” said a spokeswoman for the court.
On the evening of September 5, nurses believed the man had died and informed the family before taking him to the morgue without issuing a death certificate.
It wasn’t until the next day, when an organ donation organization contacted the hospital for permission to collect the man’s organs, that a doctor was asked to confirm his death.
In a report sent to the coroner, the doctor allegedly made a horrific discovery when he unzipped the body bag, according to Business News.
The doctor reportedly discovered fresh blood on the patient’s hospital gown from a wound on his arm, two of his limbs had moved from the position they had been placed in, and his eyes were open.
“I believe the … blood from skin tears, arm position and eye marks were inconsistent with a person who was postmortem on arrival at the morgue,” the doctor wrote.
It is alleged that senior hospital staff at Rockingham General Hospital (pictured) pressured the doctor to backdate the man’s death certificate – which he refused to do
Other staff reportedly confirmed that the man’s eyes were closed and that he was dressed in a clean dress before being moved from a ward to the morgue, prompting the doctor to record the death as being September 6.
The doctor claims he was pressured by senior hospital staff to backdate the man’s death after an undertaker questioned the discrepancy between the date on the death certificate and that of the family.
The doctor refused to retroactively date the man’s time of death and instead informed his department head.
“I also specifically asked about open disclosure and coronal discussions that I was told the executive team would ensure would happen if deemed necessary,” the doctor wrote.
Western Australia coroner (pictured) has confirmed it is investigating the man’s death at the doctor’s request at the hospital
WA deputy Liberal leader Libby Mettam described the medical gaffe as “simply unforgivable and horrific” and called for an investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission and a Royal Commission into the state’s health system.
“We see a health system swinging from crisis to crisis,” said MP Mettam.
What we do need to see is a response from the McGowan administration that provides some assurance that every effort is being made to ensure a transparent and thorough investigation into these deeply disturbing and horrific reports.
“Our hearts go out to the family of the 55-year-old associated with these reports.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the South Metropolitan Health Service – which runs Rockingham Hospital – for comment.