Budget Estimates hearings descended into farce again today as the Palaszczuk Government refused to answer questions about a distressing bungle that resulted in three Queensland babies and one teenager being supplied contaminated tissue by the Heart Valve Bank.
“I am stunned that Labor’s Health Minister would deliberately block questions to the Chief Health Officer about the government’s Heart Valve Bank,” Ms Bates said.
“We understand that more patients could have been affected by this bungle. We simply wanted to know if skin and bone tissue were harvested from the original donor and may have been supplied to Queenslanders.
“The fact the Minister blocked these questions being asked speaks volumes about the cover-up and secrecy regularly displayed by this Palaszczuk Government.
“It’s another major health scandal under a Minister who does everything he can to avoid scrutiny.”
In June it was revealed that four Queenslanders, three of them babies, were incorrectly given heart tissue that was harvested from a patient with brain cancer.
In Estimates hearings today, it was exposed that Minister Steven Miles hasn’t even contacted the families of these patients to offer his apologies.
“I feel for the patients and their families who have already been through the trauma of major surgeries for their babies,” Ms Bates said.
“They are owed an apology and an explanation from the Minister as to what went so wrong and an assurance it won’t happen again.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk also needs to guarantee all necessary financial support for the three babies and one child impacted by the heart valve bungle.
“The emotional toll is bad enough but they shouldn’t be forced to pay any additional medical expenses as a result of this bungle.”