Amir Al-Khafaji: Parents days from answers as Ramsay Health Care sets date for report into baby death

The parents who endured the traumatic death of their baby at Joondalup Health Campus seven months ago will finally receive some answers within days about what led to their unborn son’s death. Suzan Al Hulow and Ali Al-Khafaji have been grieving their baby son Amir ever since he died inside Ms Al Hulow’s womb on March 22. The young mother was left unmonitored for four hours at Joondalup Health Campus after she was reluctantly induced. When staff returned to check on her, they discovered her unborn son’s heart had stopped beating. Ms Al Hulow maintains her waters broke shortly after having a balloon catheter inserted, and a midwife’s failure to investigate this played a role in Amir’s death. Ramsay Health Care, which operates Joondalup Health Campus, engaged an independent expert in July to review the case following meetings with the family which left both parties at odds. Seven months later, the devastated parents — who were not interviewed as part of the fresh probe — are just days away from answers about what exactly led to the tragedy. Joondalup Health Campus chief executive Renaud Mazy told the family last Friday the hospital would aim to give them the report into baby Amir’s death “within the next fortnight”. Ms Al Hulow and Mr Al-Khafaji said it had been an agonising wait that was “cruel in the extreme”. “It is now more than six months since Baby Amir passed,” Ms Al Hulow told The West Australian. “It has been a difficult and heartbreaking time as we have relived every minute of what transpired on that day. “Joondalup Health Campus knows full well that we need closure. Understanding what happened on that fateful day is critical. “Yet this heartless hospital has strung us out for all this time and that is cruel in the extreme.” The date for answers finally came after health advocate Suresh Rajan, who is representing the family, appealed directly to Mr Mazy. “I am growing increasingly frustrated at the complete lack of any urgency or empathy being displayed by your hospital,” he wrote to the chief executive last week. “Sometime early in July, the hospital was dragged into a position where they decided on an external inquiry. “Almost four months later we are still to see any report of the review ... this inordinate delay has not been good for (Ms Al Hulow’s) mental health status at all.” It prompted Mr Mazy to respond with an apology for the family’s frustration and an assurance the report would soon be with them. “We are aiming to get the external independent report to them (Ms Al Hulow and Mr Al-Khafaji) within the next fortnight,” he said. Mr Rajan told The West the couple had waited long enough for answers. “For a hospital that is supposed to “provide care” this is an utterly disgraceful position,” he said. A Joondalup Health Campus spokeswoman said the hospital’s “overriding priority” was to have a “thorough review”. “The hospital carried out a rigorous internal investigation soon after and found the clinical care provided was appropriate,” she said. “Given the family had ongoing concerns regarding their clinical care, JHC went on to initiate an independent review by an external specialist. “JHC appreciates the importance to the family of a timely report, however, the overriding priority is the need for a thorough review.”