An asylum seeker on a hunger strike in Darwins Wickham Point detention centre has been admitted to hospital with an infection. The 33-year-old Iranian man has been on an extended hunger strike and refused food for 53 days before stopping briefly when his lawyer appealed the rejection in November. He was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital on Friday and is being treated intravenously for infected mosquito bites. Darwin lawyer John Lawrence said his client has been in detention for four years and is in legal limbo, unable to return to Iran and unable to stay in Australia. He said his client is protesting on behalf of other asylum seekers in the same situation. It certainly it is a test for the Abbott Government. Are they going to let people die to prove their point? Asylum seeker advocate Pamela Curr They see on a daily basis at Wickham Point, they all know what hes doing and why, Mr Lawrence said. He said his client is thin and wheelchair bound but determined not to break his strike. This is just another stage in the journey that hes chosen to take. Asylum seeker advocate Pamela Curr said the mans actions highlighted the plight of people in indefinite detention. It certainly is a test for the Abbott Government. Are they going to let people die to prove their point? The man is expected to be released from hospital after treatment for his infection. Health warning issued about hunger strike Doctors have warned the man risks irreversible damage to vital body functions by going without food for so long. With severe malnutrition you can actually pass a point when the body just cant take any advantage of nutrition. So basically the damage is irreversible, the Australian Medical Associations (AMA) Northern Territory branch, Dr Robert Parker told the ABC. A Department of Immigration and Border Protection spokesperson said for privacy reasons it would be inappropriate to go into detail about individual cases. In September last year, an infection led to the death of 24-year-old Iranian asylum seeker Hamid Khazaei. Mr Khazaei was in the Australian Governments care at the Manus Island facility and was transported to Brisbane for treatment, but died. After Mr Khazaeis death, the Immigration Department announced its chief medical officer would conduct a clinical review of the medical care provided to Mr Khazaei by contractor International Health and Medical Services (IHMS). A spokeswoman for IHMS said it would be improper for IHMS to contribute any comments or speculate as to the details surrounding this tragedy until these reviews and investigations have been completed.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 01:37:08 +0000
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