Hospital Missed Important Signs Before Young Father's Death
Stateline
Topic: Public Health
The emergency department at Mackay Base Hospital was full when youth worker Amenatave 'Mena' Tuibua arrived with chest pain.
The hospital was at capacity, and patients were waiting for beds in the emergency department or in ambulances.
Mr. Tuibua sat in the waiting room without heart monitoring for three hours before being sent home.
Resina Tuibua visited family in Fiji with her mom Shey and dad Mena in 2025.
He left the hospital without doctors realizing they had misread his heart test and missed signs of heart damage.
It was later found that medical staff likely looked at another patient's blood test results instead of Mr. Tuibua's.
Three weeks later, Mr. Tuibua collapsed on Whitsunday Island and could not be revived.
Shey Tuibua had a bad feeling when her phone rang on June 19, 2025.
Mr. Tuibua's wife was at rugby practice with their son when she learned her husband had a heart attack.
He died the day before their 17th anniversary.
The helicopters came, but they couldn't save him.
Falling through the cracks
An internal review found that Mr. Tuibua was not treated as a high-risk patient despite his history of high blood pressure.
The review said several important findings were missed on a very busy evening.
Important changes in Mr. Tuibua's heart activity were missed, and a clinician likely looked at another patient's blood test results.
Mackay Base Hospital's emergency department has been under increasing pressure.
A critical blood test was not reviewed until the next morning, after Mr. Tuibua went home.
A doctor saw the elevated test result but did not tell a senior doctor.
The review found that guidelines for chest pain were not followed correctly.
A statement for follow-up care was not given to Mr. Tuibua.
The review found no hospital records showing Mr. Tuibua was pain-free before being sent home.
The reviewers said that a heavy workload, clinician fatigue, and environmental challenges may have affected the medical assessment.
Ms. Tuibua said the analysis raised questions about how often mistakes happen in Mackay's health service.
She said they deserve a safe and well-run emergency department in the town.
My kids have gone through a lot because of human error.
Shey Tuibua said Mena held the family together and was involved in their kids' lives.
Bed shortage contributes to poor patient outcomes
The review document says the overcrowded hospital may have contributed to other deaths and harm to patients.
The hospital may have missed giving the right treatment at the right time, leading to poor outcomes.
Queensland Health defines these incidents as those that include death or likely permanent harm.
MHHS did not answer questions about how many avoidable deaths and harm were caused by bed shortages.
Sean Birgan was appointed chief executive of MHHS in February.
In a statement, chief executive Sean Birgan said hospital representatives met with Mr. Tuibua's family to apologize.
He said the health service was continuing to offer support but could not comment further due to patient confidentiality.
MHHS said it had seen an 11% increase in urgent presentations to its emergency department.
The review of Mr. Tuibua's case led to improvements in several procedures.
MHHS says a master plan for the Mackay Base Hospital expansion will soon be made public.
The Queensland Coroners Court confirmed it had reopened an investigation into Mr. Tuibua's death.
It said the Far Northern Coroner was waiting for information from a Queensland statutory body.
Pressure across Queensland
Health Consumers Queensland's Keith Tracey-Patte said he was worried about mistakes due to pressure on the health system.
He said the staff and patients are in a complex environment with real pressure.
Keith Tracey-Patte said the state's medical workers are highly skilled but need more investment to build the healthcare workforce.
The planned expansion of Mackay Base Hospital has not started despite initial promises.
The expansion was announced in 2022, but an independent review revealed it was underfunded.
The Queensland government unveiled new plans for the hospital upgrade, with completion set for 2030.
Viliame Tuibua says losing his dad left him in a void, but he's trying to stay active.
'Mena' remembered
Viliame Tuibua said the loss of his dad had ruined him, but he and his sister relied on their faith and community support.
It felt like he was in an unescapable void.
He's been playing touch football and going to new places, which gives him some happiness.
Mr. Tuibua's family remembers him as an extraordinary member of the community and a kind father.
Shey Tuibua volunteered to help coach students for the Mena Cup.
Mackay State High School announced plans to honor his youth work through the Mena Cup, a rugby carnival.
Resina said she would always remember her dad's generosity.
She thinks about what her dad would do in any situation.
The Tuibua family is surrounded by photos and keepsakes of Mena.
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