On Wednesday Mr Dutton said the married man, whose name is believed to be Omid, was "in a very serious condition and the plan is to provide an airlift for him later tonight ... his outlook is not good at all."

A distressed refugee on Nauru, moments before he set himself alight in April.

Speaking to Fairfax Media a few hours after the incident, Omid's friend Arman said the victim's situation was "really, really urgent", and questioned why he had not already been airlifted. It is understood the delay in medical evacuation also caused Omid's wife considerable distress.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection refused to comment on the delay, or confirm where the victim would be treated in Australia. It is understood the man will be treated at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

It also refused to comment on the man's condition, or respond to reports from refugee advocates that doctors did not attend Nauru hospital for several hours to treat the victim, who was instead initially seen to by nurses.