NO DIGNITY IN HER DEATH: Distraught Australian husband of nurse wife who died on honeymoon in Fiji relives the moment he had to identify her body stored in "freezing shipping container" with four other dead Fijians

11/10/2017

26 Comments

"While the medical staff [at Lautoka Hospital] who treated Ms Clarke did their best, the facilities and processes were not good enough. It was just a f***ing shemozzle. It's not something I'd want anyone to experience. It's just gut-wrenching. It's absolutely disgraceful. Their hospital system [in Fiji] is back in the 1990s, if not the 1980s. It's just unacceptable from my point of view. It needs a big shake-up. They just need a big upgrade." -
Widower Chase Clarke

FFP HEALTH MINISTER Rosy Akbar on public record:
"Don't expect to be treated like private patients while going to
public hospitals in Fiji."
Fijileaks: The rotten state of affairs, as we have repeatedly asserted, must lie with the D'Hondt Electoral System where a candidate with 400 plus votes becomes a FFP Cabinet Minister, and since there is no provision in the Constitution for a by-election, these Ministers are behaving as if they own Fiji. Worse, Aiyaz Khaiyum has become Minister for Everything, with conflict of interest at the heart of Government accountability. Who to BLAME and SACK is no longer an option. And if the FFP does sack Akbar, another FFP losing candidate will get a call to enter Parliament - in his or her case with 250 VOTES. - under D'Hondt!
And all SODELPA is busy with - trying to revive the 'dead' Great Council of Chiefs - but the GCC must remain in induced coma until it agrees to reform and accept modern changes in Fijian society

The husband of Sydney nurse Kelly Clarke who died suddenly on the couple's Fiji honeymoon has revealed the horrific sight he faced while identifying his wife.

Ms Clarke, 24, died of severe bilateral pneumonia in Lautoka Hospital, north of Nadi on Friday night, 30 hours after she complained of stomach pains.

Husband Chase told Daily Mail Australia his wife's body was in a 'freezing shipping container, wrapped up in a sheet, head to toe with other bodies.'

Those other bodies had to be moved so Mr Clarke, 28, could remove the sheet from his wife's head.

Comforted by his mother Linda, and wearing his wife's wedding ring on his little finger, the distraught man described the last words he ever spoke to his new wife. The pair chatted over the phone, in a call made just before she was placed into an induced coma she wouldn't wake up from.

'I just told her I loved her, stay strong, we're going to get out of this,' Mr Clarke said.

'She just told me she was scared she was going to die.

'She was panting through her breath.

'And yeah, the rest is history. I never spoke to her again.'

Mr Clarke was joined by family and friends for a backyard wake at Willoughby, on Sydney's lower north shore, on Tuesday afternoon. While the medical staff who treated Ms Clarke did their best, Mr Clarke said the facilities and processes were not good enough.

'It was just a f***ing shemozzle,' he said. 'It's not something I'd want anyone to experience. It's just gut-wrenching.

'It's absolutely disgraceful. Their hospital system is back in the 1990s, if not the 1980s.

'It's just unacceptable from my point of view.

'It needs a big shake-up. They just need a big upgrade.'

Medicine his wife needed was not available, medivac transport was too difficult to organise and every process was too slow, Mr Clarke said.

'They're just on Fiji time.'

Ms Clarke was initially believed to have contracted typhoid but blood tests ruled that out.

'The results came back after her death,' Mr Clarke said. 'That's too long.'

He was unsure whether his wife's life could have been saved.

'There are a lot of possibilities that we don't really understand at the moment,' he said.

Mr Clarke said he was speaking out about the Fijian hospital system in hope of helping others and in honour of his wife.

'We're doing it for Kelly. We're doing it for everyone else.

'I'm just sorry it had to be her.

'If she could help improve any system she would find a way to do that.'

Mr Clarke was wearing his wife's ring on his little finger, next to his own wedding band, as he spoke of the woman he had lost.

'She was such a strong individual. She was beautiful. She was intelligent. Courageous. Confident.

'She looked up to everyone. She looked after everyone.

'She loved kids. We were planning a family and everything.

'We were moving forward as a couple.'

'It's just one step at a time now.'

Mr Clarke praised Australian consular officials who had been available '24/7' and was grateful for donations that had helped cover huge expenses.

The family made a fundraising page to help bring the young woman home before she died, more than $52,000 was donated.

'I just want to say thank you to everyone.

'Thank you for all your love and support.'

Fijileaks: While we agree and sympathize with the Clarke family, Fiji is no exception. The National Health Service in the United Kingdom is in shambles. The only difference is by now the Health Minister would have been FIRED for incompetency and her Government vehicle confiscated, and she told to take a bus with E-ticket to her posh hairdressers in Suva. All this Health Minister does is giggle in Parliament, sitting next to Faiyaz Koya, and behind Aiyaz Khaiyum. And when she does open her mouth:
"Don't expect to be treated like private patients while going to
public hospitals in Fiji."

THE DARK VADER container (right) where the dead are dumped into by Fiji public hospitals

"It was disgusting, they put her body in a refrigerated shipping container and I pulled the sheet off her head and saw her lying there with [four] other bodies on shelves. I had to dress her body in her own clothes, there was no mortician there."

Fiji's TERMINALLY ILL HEALTH SYSTEM SINCE INDEPENDENCE

http://www.fijileaks.com/home/dignifying-the-hindu-dead-aiyaz-khaiyum-on-the-new-vatuwaqa-crematorium-unfortunately-for-decades-the-hindus-did-not-have-this-kind-of-dedicated-space-this-is-the-reason-we-engaged-into-this-project

From Fijileaks Archive, 21 September 2014:

26 Comments

Welcome Home

11/10/2017 10:43:58 am

My heart bleeds for this young couple so recently launched on their married life together and for this awful experience which is not unusual now in Fiji. Familiarity with Lautoka Hospital goes back to 1972 when my Fiji born mother-in-law died of a missed diagnosed appendix in appalling agony. But in particular since 2000 the situation has worsened exponentially. At times not even Panadol or simple medicines could be obtained. The treatment of rape victims in Nadi especially was unhygienic and traumatising after an already terrifying event. The disrespect offered to the dead has also been of note and continued to the graveyard unless private arrangements could be made. These huge lapses leave grieving relatives indefinitely in severe psychological pain even PTSD. The staff so often attempt to mitigate the shortfalls but it is impossible to bridge the yawning chasm. In UK the NHS can also no longer adequately cope with the demands made upon them . However, shortage of drugs is not evident. After death care of relatives and arrangements to view deceased were found to be better than expected. Life is fragile: handle with care! (Attributed to Liebling Marlowe - Fiji's first Miss Hibiscus)

Chiku

11/10/2017 10:49:14 am

And guess what Fiji is now poised to become a modern nation state comparable to Singapore according to the coupist rulers of the country.
What a blerry joke! A joke that is no laughing matter for the ordinary folks in Fiji and for visitors like the Clarke family from Australia.
What a disgraceful state of affairs ? And we make a big song and dance about our Fiji Day and 47 years of independence. It's a shame 47 years after gaining independence we are still a banana republic.

Dekho

11/10/2017 11:08:53 am

Instead of glossing over how the country has gone backwards and as this tragic case shows gone to the dogs as a result of our serial coups and rogue political leadership with all the media hype about " a sea of blue " at Fiji Day celebrations we should be wearing black to cry for what has become of our beloved country.
What are we " celebrating " on Fiji Day?

Samjoe

11/10/2017 08:48:41 pm

Sea of Blue, yeah? So what kind of public money was wasted, yes WASTED, on that flag changing exercise without any flag change?
How many proper mortuary could that public money have built?
Shame, shame, shame on this Fiji First government for getting our national priorities all wrong and bringing our country into international disrepute with the exposures from this tragic Clarke family story.

Refugee

11/10/2017 11:32:52 pm

Our National Priority is on self-preservation (immunity 2013), self promotion (minister pampered Rosy [Health] and Fiji 47 day, and on self-worship (minister of everything, including being the puppet when required).

Baaki Saab (meaning we the people) chule Bhar (or something to the effect).

Our deepest condolences to the Clark family! Your anger and frustrations at our non-existent public health care is totally understandable. We Fijians hang our heads in shame. It should never have been like this.

Bahuki

12/10/2017 10:50:54 am

I feel you, even that so-called "Constitution Day" is just another holiday and nothing special about something that has stuffed up the country in turmoil due to how people often twist it to suite their own agendas.

We the people are not the only ones suffering as seen here where the tourists weren't given proper health care, especially to their lost loved ones.

Oh how tax payer money could be used for something more constructive and useful such as the establishment of a mortuary for hospitals around the country among other things. Now its just being wasted on rubbish like the flag change that never happened and other very expensive foreign projects like the PGA tournaments.

Socho

11/10/2017 11:19:31 am

Never before in our independence history have we had such mediocre ministers. It is indeed a Fiji first!

Ratu

11/10/2017 01:09:08 pm

Luckily the young Australian nurse didn't die anywhere near the Navua Hospital. There, there is no mortuary. Relatives of the dead have to hire a cab to take the body of their relatives for storage at the Suva CWM Hospital.
There is a sick joke around Navua: Never flag down a passing cab - you never know what you'll end up sitting next to.

Sanjay Sharma

11/10/2017 01:16:11 pm

Its no secret that Fiji's health system is at the worst possible state. The health minister is busy attending soccer tournaments rather than devoting time to improve medical facilities. The government is busy giving ministers pay rises to $200K+, increasing allowances to $3000/day, allocating $10M for a golf tournament, $20M+ to fbc, $1.5M to qorvis and $250M+ to military while our health system is under resourced. Shame on the FF governments. Time to kick them out in 2018

Chiku

11/10/2017 08:14:43 pm

You couldn't have put the state of the nation under the Fiji First Theft Party government more succinctly. Is this how this coup generated government is building a " better Fiji "?
Better for whom?

Tomasi

11/10/2017 07:49:17 pm

It is so sad, so tragic and so heart-breaking to hear that this Aussie couple had to suffer this terrible experience at a moment in their life together when they were looking forward so optimistically to a happy, fruitful and wonderful future. In a single dramatic event, this story has highlighted the best and the worst of Fiji.

Our Aussie and Kiwi friends and neighbours travel to Fiji because of the wonderful experiences they have had over many years in the past. In a way, the excellent tourism prospects we have enjoyed has been associated with our wonderful past. We continue to hope that more and more people would still find Fiji their premier choice of destination when thinking of their families, honeymoons and holidays.

However, the Fiji that was described as 'the way the world should be' has been hijacked by a group of thugs, intellectual imbeciles and people of very low moral integrity. Fiji has been gradually declining since 1980s because we have allowed the god of materialism and self to usurp the place of God. Today, we are reaping what we have sowed. In the place of leadership, we have dictatorship, which is a fancy word for selfish rule, me first, and godlessness.

May I suggest that we as a nation must do our best to reframe our fundamentals even before we conduct the next election. There are very serious flaws in the way we currently allow ourselves to be governed. The fact that one does not need to win even 500 votes by the national electorate to become a Government Minister must ring alarm bells. We have a government that is not accountable to anyone else. It is therefore not surprising that they will be dictating laws and decrees as they wish to control our lives in order to accomplish their selfish goals. We hardly hear of any Cabinet meetings and decisions simply because there is no need for that when you have two dictators ruling the party and the whole nation.

Unless we change the fundamentals, we must never expect any substantive change in the outcomes. While our hearts bleed for the Clarke family for the disastrous and tragic event they have endured, we must also pause and do some serious soul-searching for the future prospects for our own citizens and our nation. Many of us still believe that the wonderful Fiji we imagine can be realised. But we must come to terms with our current realities and have the courage to do something about it, even if this means taking drastic actions if necessary.

This tragic case involving the Clarke family is only one of the many sad and tragic cases that have happened in Fiji over the last several years. There are many serious cases and events happening across various departments, sectors and regions of our country. Fiji is 9 months pregnant for a rebirth of a new and better nation, where national leadership will become a serious and noble passion of duty to God and a genuine care for all our people of Fiji and the world in general. We have been to this valley of political and social disgrace and potential destruction so that we can aspire for the mountain of greatness. That aspiration requires nothing less than our desire and commitment for righteousness, for its is through righteousness, the love for God and for one another that our nation will be exalted to its rightful place. It also calls for the condemnation of all that is unjust, evil, wrong and morally repugnant and the proper punishment for those who selfishly choose to defy the law.

Alibaba

11/10/2017 08:25:06 pm

It is indeed sad how our health system has broken down over the years. 47 years post independence and as a country we still cant get the basic services that our country deserves right. My thoughts and prayers are with the husband of the deceased and there families. What is of more importance is the fact that the Minister herself has not even shown a half degree of empathy nor has any one from government let alone taking responsibility for what has happened. We the citizens of this country go through this level of service on a daily basis. What i find the most intriguing is the culture of "taking it up the ass without flinching in Fiji". We the people of this country take so much shit without pouring to the streets in protest. I do not know if this is a good thing or bad. I certainly do not want to see a Venezuela type unrest in Fiji but we must stand up some how and say enough is enough. I just do not know what is the most effective way to do this. Thankfully the elections are near and we can vent our anger at the ballot box. If however the elections are stolen by Bai and Kai then what. These are questions that we as the stakeholders in this countries future must wrestle with. We cannot survive 4 more years of corruption and theft. The country will literally break down economically. Fellow bloggers any thoughts on this.

Dekho

11/10/2017 09:05:35 pm

Shit has been happening full time and big time in Fiji since the thug takeover of the country in 2006 ( as well recorded by Tomasi ) and what is indeed intriguing as Alibaba points out is that we the people of Fiji have been " taking it up the ass without flinching ".
What kind of people are we to be submissively taking so much shit from our thug rulers?

Chiku

11/10/2017 09:53:02 pm

If bad governance was the real reason for the Fijian military's interventions in the civilian administration of the country then today the Fijian military has more reasons to intervene then ever before in Fiji's post-colonial history. The rot generated by bad governance is unprecedented. It's mind blowing. But bad governance was never the real reason for the military coups in Fiji. They were just power grabs by rogue military generals. The Fijian military should hang its head in shame for allowing itself to be used to bring the country to its knees.
No amount of military pomp and parade can hide that fact and the military's guilt in condemning the country to its current debilitated state.

Anonymous

11/10/2017 10:22:10 pm

I can remember the smell of hospitals' out-patients and wards some years ago. It smelled sterilizing agents such as bleach and alcohol. Ever since Bainimarama took over the country, hospitals smell urine. I think the good smell of hospitals will return only when Bainimarama is voted out next year. Vote NFP - a party with best policies.

Samjoe

12/10/2017 12:49:13 am

The one dominant smell pervading the country since Bainimarama's "clean up " coup is the dirty rotten stench of corruption, incompetence, cronyism, and coercion.
The good people of Fiji don't deserve this Fiji First government that puts itself first and the Fijian people last.
This government has to be removed in the next election.

noni

11/10/2017 10:51:17 pm

The rot started from independence. Fiji now has 47 years of experience in nepotism, corruption, laziness, gluttony, arrogance and greed. May the majority awaken from their summer slumber, may leaders (of merit) be visionary and honest today and especially for tomorrow.

Mesake

12/10/2017 12:16:35 am

The biggest problem is the lack of transpency and accountability.

Coupled with that is the unbridled concentration of power in the hands of a few and without the mandate of the people. Nobody can question the ruling minority without fear of being harassed , victimised and being unfairly charged for offences that are fabricated at the whim of those in power. A pliable judiciary ,absence of media and trade union freedoms and a severely compromised human rights director, leaves the public completely without any rights of recourse.

Yet all this comes from a 20 member cabinet ( including the assistant ministers ) , 15 of whom did not even get 1 %of the 496,000 votes in the general election . In fact 12 of that 15 got less than .2%.

If democracy is about the will of the people as expressed through the ballot box , how then is this defensible? Where is the collective mandate ?

Rosy Akbar with her 990 votes , Faizal Koya 875, Bhatnagar 874 and Usumate 939 out of a total of 496,000 control big budgets , power and control over the lives and welfare of our people which is totally disproportionate to their mandate.

What skills, expertise and record of public service do they have to justify such power and authority?

Democracy means the exercise of power for the common good and not its arrogant usurpation for personal ego , patronage and promotion of self and sectional interests.

Bahuki

12/10/2017 12:31:43 am

This is what happens when you wear two many hats at the same time that eventually you stuff up everything else, especially the health sector here which is no exception.

FFP stuffing up everything with quick fixes and SODELPA too busy caught up in the GCC revival which is useless and restrictive unless it can adapt to modernized changes.

It would be interesting however to see how NFP rules the country come next years elections considering how they never got a chance to do so due to internal conflicts that gave them a very short tenure before the other parties took over.

Alibaba

12/10/2017 09:02:12 am

I am a strong supporter of the NFP party and can assure you that given a chance this time we will fix this damn country once and for all. NFP is a liberal party which believes in ruling by consensus and consultation. No infighting this time. I think those days of religious segregation and stupidity is over for NFP. We will have the best line up of candidates ever. Give us a shot and we will deliver.

Bahuki

12/10/2017 11:11:57 am

I'm sure your party will get a chance, in my opinion the challenge however would be how well it can hold itself together without any inner conflicts as with the other parties like SODELPA.

Yes it may be the veteran party but we'll have to wait and see if NFP can break its losing streak as I'm sure it will. Any party that isn't FFP or SODELPA is perfectly fine with me as long as its not one of them.

I personally don't mind if NFP, PDP or some other party wins next year"s elections, otherwise its back to square one with Sodelpy and FlipFlop Party.

So for the Federation Party, if elections are hard enough then having a long tenure without any "unnecessary interruptions" can be alot harder but I'm sure that your party is obviously up to the challenge. No doubt it won't waste its chance once it finally gets it as with other parties through victory.

Aliaba

12/10/2017 03:11:02 am

The silence from otherwise vocal Fiji Tourism Ass is also deafening on this matter. Come on Dickson Seeto are you a regime lackey or will you stand up for the people who pay your salary the tourists that is.

Emosi

12/10/2017 09:42:16 pm

She had lupus which had no cure, nothing to do with our health care system.

Socho

12/10/2017 11:34:18 pm

Emosi please present yourself to the health care professionals at St Giles mental hospital for lobotomy.

Lewis link

12/10/2017 11:13:24 pm

Indeed she had lupus and there is no cure for that. It's not she was deliberately ignored by medical officials did what they could with given set of skills and equipment. However there is vast improvement needed in lifting and upgrading most public hospitals as resources dates back to colonial era. Miles to achieve.

Tomasi

13/10/2017 01:51:37 pm

Thank you for the information. Lupus may have been the primary cause of death, it does not give us in Fiji a reason to excuse the lack of proper care of the patients even after they have died. We recall the description of the lady's husband lamenting the very poor condition of the morque and the storage of his beloved spouse. We ought to be focussing on demanding that the Government must constantly strive to improve the range, quality and consistency of our health services to be on par with international standards. Health must always remain a high priority because it is a matter of life and death, not only to our citizens but also to our visitors. We must do all we can to ensure that our tourism development strategies must include the constant improvement of our public and private health facilities and services. We lose the moral right to invite visitors to our shores if we are not willing or able to provide the best services they need in the basic needs such as foods, shelter, health.and sfatety.

Again to Kahi and his assistant Bai, please forget about the climate change hoax. Focus on the real and imminent threats that affect the people of Fiji and those that visit our shores to live, work or holiday. The costs and benefits of the two ( climate hoax and improving health standards and services ) are absolutely incomparable, simply because the former is a gigantic hoax and a global deception we should never be a part of, and the latter is very real and it cannot be neglected.

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