00:00Family sat quietly in Alice Springs Court during the final day of hearings into the
00:06death of Comandé Brogues or Manyaká. The Western Erenda woman was taken to Alice Springs
00:11Hospital following an acute psychotic episode in Hermannsburg almost two years ago. She
00:17was sedated several times before, during and after the 120-kilometre journey.
00:23Dr Luke Lawton, an expert on emergency medicine who spoke by Videolink from Townsville, was
00:29asked how the case compared with others. In 20 years of practice I have never seen anything
00:35like it. He told the coroner the dose of Midazepam was extremely high, offering a recent example
00:42from his clinic of an aggressive man who had to be restrained and was given the same dose
00:47of Midazepam, rendering him unconscious. He was a grown man who was held down by three
00:54police officers and was given the same dosage, she said.
00:58A patient receiving such heavy doses would normally be under constant monitoring, or
01:02at least every fifteen minutes. But the court heard that the on-duty ward nurse only checked
01:09on her once in the last two hours of her life.
01:13Responding to questions from coroner Elizabeth Armitage, Professor Lawton said the evidence
01:18pointed to systemic failings. This would not have happened in Queensland. There is a procedure
01:24for admission, he said.
01:26Judge Armitage findings are expected to be handed down in the coming months.
01:29See you in the comments, told he was admitted to the
01:46council倒네.
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