Nurse tells the death in custody coronial inquiry the medical team did its best to revive Dungay

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A nurse involved in the death in custody of David Dungay Jnr in Long Bay jail in 2015 has told a coronial inquiry the medical team did its best in the best interests of the patient.

The inquest, which sat for two weeks last year, resumed at the NSW coroner’s court on Monday. Dungay, a diabetic, died after guards rushed his cell to stop him eating a packet of biscuits, transferring him to another cell, restraining him face down on the floor and injecting him with a sedative.

On Monday a second nurse contradicted key testimony from a corrections officer about which department wanted to move Dungay from his cell.

The medical team was criticised in the last hearings by an emergency medicine expert, Prof Anthony Brown, for failing to provide adequate CPR.

David Dungay inquest resumes but will it be delayed again? – Breathless podcast Read more

Brown’s evidence noted the doctor on duty, Trevor Ma, stopped chest compressions for periods of up to eight minutes, and nursing staff inserted a ventilation device with the cap still on, which wasn’t noticed until the cap fell out of Dungay’s mouth.

Nitra Thapa, one of two nurses to appear at the inquest on Monday, said he had briefly seen the video footage of the resuscitation attempt and had briefly looked through Brown’s expert report.

“Given the situation – the patient was unconscious – we were doing our best to revive the patient,” Thapa said on Monday.

“Given the circumstances and available means I think we did our best in the best interests of the patient.”

Thapa and a fellow nurse, Rajana Maharja, had attempted to clear Dungay’s airways and administered the ventilation device.

The court heared that neither had ever been involved in a real-world CPR scenario before the December 2015 incident, or had emergency medicine experience.

Both appeared to struggle with understanding some questions and recalling events.

Thapa said he was in a different ward when a duress alarm went off for Dungay, but went to the G ward to help. Several colleagues were already in the room, including Dr Ma and three nurses, including Maharjan.

“We were trying to clear his airway, and I remember giving him breath through the oxygen bag attached to the cylinder,” Thapa said.

“With the lid on it,” interjected a family member from the gallery.

Maharjan said the nurses were “struggling” with how to clear Dungay’s airway, noting he had vomited, but couldn’t recall any concern that air was not getting to his lungs.

Maharjan said she was in the medication room with another nurse when the duress alarm sounded. She said she had earlier discussed with Ma concerns she and another nurse, Charles Xu, had about Dungay’s high blood sugar level.

“That day was a very stressful environment at the time, there were a lot of officers and staff,” she said.

Maharjan told the court an officer had also asked for a medical certificate, which was necessary to transfer Dungay to a cell with a camera, contradicting testimony in July from a corrections officer, who said it was a Justice Health employee who requested the cell move.

Maharjan said Ma told her Dungay should remain in the cell and he would assess him for a new management plan.

She said she told officers, but couldn’t recall which one.

The disparity between the two claims is significant in assessing the reason for guards to rush Dungay’s cell, and whether the act was in line with policies around medical versus security incidents.

David Dungay inquest resumes to hear from final 10 witnesses and family Read more

Since Dungay’s death, further training had been provided to medical staff, including specifically for those who attended Dungay – and the designation of team leaders had been established.

“It’s a much better practice in place compared to before the incident that happened,” Thapa said. “It’s more effective so everyone is on the same page … not chaos.”

Outside the court on Monday morning, Dungay’s family said they were looking for people to be held accountable for his death.

The family will give their statements on Friday, having been unable to do so last year when the inquest ran way behind schedule, requiring this extra week of hearings.

“The wait has been a problem because it was suspended and the longer it goes the more agonising it gets for the family,” said Dungay’s mother, Leetona. “We all get frustrated but we just stick together and say we’re going to get over this and get justice.”

Dungay’s nephew, Paul Silva, said the family was “standing strong despite the trauma and everything, the emotional distress”.

“It’s one thing to change policies or procedures but until the government or DPP holds one of these officers accountable for a … death in custody, this is not going to stop,” Silva said.

The hearing continues.

• This story was amended on 22 November 2019 to correct the spelling of Charles Xu’s name.