Hazara woman Narges, who is at risk of hearing loss and cerebral abscesses, says she was handcuffed en route to appointment which was cancelled

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A young woman, transferred to Australia from Nauru for medical treatment six weeks ago, is yet to see a specialist and claims she was handcuffed for a medical appointment which was then cancelled.

According to medical reports, Narges, an Afghan Hazara refugee in her 20s, is in danger of permanent hearing loss, and risks developing meningitis and skull infections without early specialist treatment.

Narges and her brother Daryoush were medically transferred to Australia in early November and detained inside the Villawood detention centre in western Sydney.

A letter from a medical specialist, seen by Guardian Australia, said she was transferred to facilitate a visit to an ear, nose and throat surgeon.

“In my opinion she is at risk of permanent loss of hearing and may well require surgical intervention to treat the chronic nature of her symptoms,” the specialist wrote.

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He said she would also need investigations to rule out other malignant conditions, and that without specialist treatment she was at risk of meningitis, cerebral abscesses, infections of the base of the skull and the possibility of a dural arteriovenous fistula.

“All the above conditions are preventable if specialist treatment is commenced early,” he said.

Dr Barri Phatarfod, founder of Doctors for Refugees, said most medical transfers occurred at the point a patient was quite critical.

“This is reflected in the leaked briefing Dr Brayley, former CMO Department of Immigration and Border Protection received when he first started: he was advised to not approve transfers unless the condition was potentially life-threatening,” Phatarford said.

“So, once they do make it to Australia for the most part treatment is immediate or very soon. They cannot afford otherwise in such a clinical state.”

But Narges claims she has only been taken to one appointment, and was put in handcuffs for the journey, only to have the appointment cancelled before she arrived.

“I told the Serco [officer] that I am not a criminal, why are you locking my hands with a handcuff?” she told Guardian Australia.

“Serco didn’t respond to me. She only held my arm tightly and directed me towards the van.”

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The use of handcuffs, as well as armoured vehicles and guards was common, said Phatarford.

“The charade of security guards and armoured vehicles, when you’ve got a young child taken [to a doctor] for tonsillitis and a mum and dad who don’t speak English, it’s so over the top,” she said.

“We also heard of a woman giving birth in a Brisbane hospital with two security guards stationed outside her door … It’s more for show and many doctors we’ve spoken to have reported this.”

Phatardord said doctors weren’t trained for such “confronting” scenarios, and few felt empowered to push back or demanded the removal of restraints.

“In my 30 years working in the Australian medical system I generally have great faith in the judgment and skills of the doctors working in the Australian hospitals and immigration detention centres,” she said.

“The problems seem to be both the Australian Border Force’s reluctance to trust the opinions of the qualified and trained experts regarding patients’ medical needs as well as a reluctance on the part of many doctors to stand their medical ground regarding patient management.”

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More than 810 people have been transferred from Nauru and Manus Island to Australia for medical treatment, the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, said last week.

“If [the medical issue is] elevated to the point that they need to come to Australia we bring them here – that’s exactly what happens now,” Dutton said.

Approached for comment last week, the Department of Home Affairs said it did not comment on individual cases but it takes “very seriously its duty of care for detainees and continues to work with its service providers to provide a safe and secure environment”.

On Monday Narges and Daryoush were released from Villawood, but Narges said she was yet to see a specialist.

Guardian Australia has previously reported that Narges and her brother Daryoush had been separated from their family for more than four years after they were made to stay on Nauru while their mother, Nasreen, and sister left for treatment in Australia, for treatment of Nasreen’s injuries sustained in a beating by Taliban members.

The separation was repeatedly identified as a factor in the mental health problems suffered by both siblings and Nasreen, who lives with her other daughter, Mahboubeh, in community detention nearby.

“My children were emotionally harmed and damaged on Nauru and now they brought her [to Australia] and they are harming her even more,” Nasreen told Guardian Australia.

“I still don’t know what crime have we committed to carry the stigma of a prisoner. What offence have we committed to live behind a detention centre? No matter what, wherever I am, as long as I am with my children I am happy.”

Narges said she felt “neglected” by Australian Border Force, NGO caseworkers and lawyers in seeking release from Nauru and then Villawood.

“I’ve experienced the pain of separation, hence I know how important and vital it is for us humans to take steps to bring families together,” she said.