Arabic version: أسرة تتحدث بعد وفاة كان يمكن الوقاية منها بسبب الإنتان
According to ABC News, Gia Lam, 32, died from sepsis after a urinary tract infection was repeatedly missed by healthcare professionals before and after she gave birth in early 2019. A coroner later found her death was preventable. Lam had moved from Vietnam to Sydney in 2010, settled in Cabramatta and worked as a waitress while sending much of her income to her parents.
An inquest found there were two chances to identify the infection before Lam gave birth. On January 21, she reported difficulty passing urine and was told to drink more fluids. Ten days later, an abnormal urine test result was not followed up. After giving birth, Lam reported pain and was given painkillers. A midwife later recorded a “very offensive” smell from her perineum, but urgent testing was not arranged. She was discharged for Chinese New Year without an interpreter despite having limited English.
The following day, during a home-care visit, Lam used her phone to ask her friend Lily Tran to translate as she described abdominal pain. Tran said the midwife focused on Lam’s hygiene. The coroner found the midwife should have recognised the seriousness of her condition and called an ambulance. Hours later, Tran found Lam weak and unwell. Lam suffered cardiac arrest after reaching Liverpool Hospital and was declared dead that evening, when her son was three days old.
In March, Deputy State Coroner Rebecca Hosking found Lam’s discharge was “premature and inappropriate” and said the persistent failure to arrange an interpreter contributed to missed opportunities for care. She recommended the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia consider investigating the care of the midwife who discharged Lam, and recommended an audit of maternity charts for culturally and linguistically diverse patients. South Western Sydney Local Health District said it had apologised to the family, updated postnatal policies, expanded training and made interpreters mandatory during discharge and home visits for relevant patients. Lam’s aunt and uncle have raised her son since her death, while her uncle Sen Trinh said he hoped speaking out would help prevent similar cases.
