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Corporate heart check slammed
Heather Saxena A CORONER has accused workplace health screening providers of putting “ profits before patients ” after the death of a healthy woman following an unnecessary CT coronary angiogram .
Peta Hickey , 43 , had an anaphylactic reaction two minutes after IV administration of 75mL of iodine contrast dye for the test in 2019 .
She died in hospital eight days later as a result of multisystem organ failure and hyp oxicischaemic encephalopathy .
‘ There was no ... justification for the radiologist to proceed with the scan .’
A post-mortem later revealed she had no heart disease and “ pristine ” coronary artery lumens .
The results from a CT scan taken before the angiogram had shown a total coronary artery calcium score of zero and no significant coronary artery disease .
The inquest into her death was told that Ms Hickey had originally been invited by her employer to undergo the screening as part of a workplace health program .
It had been set up for company executives after another senior manager experienced a non-fatal heart attack while travelling for work in Japan .
Wrongly believing GPs would not refer asymptomatic employees for scans because PAGE 4
GP finds sweetness in a bitter year
ABC © 2021
Dr Sivateja Mukkamala with his wife Digvija and son Rudrashaivya .
The heart-warming story of Dr Sivateja Mukkamala and his family reunited .
Siobhan Calafiore “ THE first time I saw him for real , I felt I was looking at someone scared ,” Dr Sivateja Mukkamala recalls .
“ But then he suddenly smiled . He knew who I was — maybe it was a natural instinct .”
As a second traumatic year draws to a close , personal stories of happiness amid the pandemic often have a bittersweet taste .
Dr Mukkamala is talking about meeting his eight-month-old son for the first time while in hotel quarantine .
The Queensland GP registrar had said goodbye to his wife , Digvija , in January 2020 when SARS-CoV-2 was still a foreign news story . She was travelling to India to be with her family early in her pregnancy . But then international borders began shutting down .
She was unable to return home , giving birth to Rudrashaivya in July .
The months passed and the separation took its toll on Dr Mukkamala .
“ People in the community were cooking for me , checking on me . If they saw that I was upset or silent , they would come and ask me , ‘ How
are you doing ?’ It was hard .” But he could secure no special exemptions . The border rules applied . Digvija was in Ongole , a so-called COVID-19 ' red zone ' in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh .
Dr Mukkamala began lobbying politicians , including the Prime Minister . They responded only with advice . But in many ways , he was lucky . His
‘ But then he smiled . He knew who I was .’
wife eventually secured a repatriation flight in February this year , just as the Delta variant began ravaging the Indian subcontinent .
Official data suggest more than 230,000 people in the country died from COVID-19 in the following four months .
Dr Mukkamala travelled 1300km from Ayr , where he lives , to meet Digvija and Rudrashaivya in hotel quarantine on the Gold Coast , staying with them during the 14 days and getting to know his son .
“ We were stuck in that PAGE 2
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