Posted on 05/30/2007 1:58:34 PM PDT by dead
INVESTIGATIONS have begun into the death of an oxygen-dependent woman in New Zealand after a power cut to her home left her respirator useless.
Electricity was cut to Folole Muliaga's home in Mangere, near Auckland, on Tuesday, shortly after the preschool teacher and mother of four had returned from a month-long stay in hospital.
The coroner is to determine the cause of death and police will consider whether criminal charges should be laid.
Ms Muliaga's son, Ietitaia, 20, said she had been up and walking around the family home that morning in good spirits - the long hose of the oxygen machine trailing behind her.
Then, as she sat in the living room, the machine's alarm sounded and the hiss of oxygen to her lungs went silent, Ietitaia said.
A contractor for the electricity supplier, Mercury Energy, knocked at the door and told them he had just cut the power.
The family says Ms Muliaga, 44, pleaded that she be given a chance to pay her outstanding power bill. Ietitaia said the contractor replied, "I'm just here to do my job". Then he left.
A little later, Ietitaia said his mother told him: "'Look after your little brother and respect your dad' … I think she knew … but she didn't tell us, she didn't want to worry us."
Minutes later, she collapsed. An ambulance was called but attempts to resuscitate her failed.
The general manager of Mercury Energy, James Moulder, said yesterday that the company was not made aware of Ms Muliaga's health problems at any time during the six to seven-week disconnection process.
Ms Muliaga's husband, Lopa, said he was not angry about his wife's death, "just lost".
The chef's assistant at Centra Airport Hotel said that when his wife became sick and had to give up her teaching job, the family struggled for money.
His wife had always paid all the bills and he was uncertain as to why their electricity had been cut. Their account showed they owed a total of $NZ304.40 ($271), but $NZ136 of that was not due until June 13.
Nowhere on the account did it say the power would be cut off if the bill was not paid immediately. It was dated May 23.
Electricity was restored to the family home yesterday.
The Dominion Post
Electricity was restored to the family home yesterday.
Better late than never.
They should have called the ambulance before the power was shut off.
I suppose this is cold-hearted, but if I was on such a machine, I would be very certain to have either a battery-backed UPS capable of going for several hours and/or a small generator. The electric company NEVER guarantees that power is available 100% of the time.
I thought of that one myself. Also a sign should hang on the meter indicating that someone in the house has a medical need for the electricity.
I thought New Zealand was a nice, kind socialist utopia where medical care was free and everyone was guaranteed at least a subsistence living.
They could have taken her to a neighbors house. A friends house or even the hospital. Virtually anywhere that had power.
This makes no sense at all. There’s something missing from this story.
maybe Tony Soprano working that day???!!!
Perhaps the machine did have a battery backup. That lasted about 2 hours...
wow, are we on the same wave length
We all know it was a much bigger conspiray to rid NZ’s socialized health care system of another expensive, life long dependant. This is afterall, what eventually happens when socialism goes to far in a country. Hilter did simular things to cripples that were a burden to the system.
while a “/s” is warranted in this case, it could easily be true in the future.
Where do you read that it was 2 hours before she died.
No notice was given before power was shut off? That’s a big no-no where I live.
This makes no sense at all. There’s something missing from this story.
Heck, they could have easily rigged an extension cord (or a few if necessary) to a neighbor's house until the situation was resolved.
If it was my mom, I would have gone to the neighbors and ask that she stay there until it could be sorted out.
I know people with oxygen concentrators due to emphysema. What you get is a big O2 tank in case electric goes out
Oxygen concentrators deliver 95% O2 to the patient. The nitrogen is mostly separated and rejected
Where were her tanks? I have a friend on oxygen who uses the machine at home, but he also has plenty of filled tanks, plus the little portable tank for walking about outside, plus the bigger tank out bank that refills the little portable so he can travel.
If the machine quits, he can last about a week off the tanks.
My Father-in law is on oxygen. His unit runs on batteries and recharges through the AC outlet. Even if power went out (which it did for about 8 hours back in March) his unit still works. It’s too bad this poor lady didn’t have something like that.
As mentioned, why didn't they rush her to a neighbors house? have a back up power source? A simple $10 inverter for the car?
I was fired from my job at the Gas station because I lifted a propane tank into a jeep for a pregnant customer. The rules specifically stated that I was told NOT to put the tank in their car.
My FIL is the same way.
Two weeks ago was my daughter’s First Communion.
He drove two hours to get here, an hour at the church, an hour for dinner and two hours back home. No problem.
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