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AussieBrian
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Warning re oxygen use
« on: May 29th, 2007, 8:43pm » |
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This may not be relevant to many CHeads, but just in case it matters to some -
Woman on oxygen dies after power cut off
From correspondents in Auckland
May 30, 2007
A NEW Zealand woman who relied on an oxygen machine died after a power company switched off the electricity to her home, a relative said today.
Family spokesman Brenden Sheehan said the woman died yesterday despite a contractor for Mercury Energy being told the woman relied on electricity to survive.
"They came to the house and they were aware of the circumstances when it (the power) was cut off," Mr Sheehan told Radio New Zealand today.
Electricity was turned off yesterday about 2pm and the woman died shortly afterwards despite an ambulance being called, according to media reports.
Mr Sheehan said the woman was too ill to work and her husband had cut his work hours to care for her.
Police have launched an investigation but said it was too early to speculate on murder or manslaughter charges.
Mercury Energy said today that the company was investigating the incident.
It said it had policies to stop disconnections if the company was made aware of medical needs.
"The company restored electricity to the household early this morning to help the family through this difficult time," it said.
Mercury Energy general manager James Moulder said the company was devastated by the woman's death but would not say how much money was owed on the power bill.
New Zealand's Green Party has called for a public inquiry into the death.
(From The Australian, our national newspaper and a bloody good read.)
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21819143-1702,00.html
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Mosaicwench
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #1 on: May 29th, 2007, 8:55pm » |
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"The company restored electricity to the household early this morning to help the family through this difficult time," it said.
How bloody nice of them . . if they'd left the power on the family wouldn't be going through this difficult time!!
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Jonny
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #2 on: May 29th, 2007, 8:57pm » |
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Money hungry bastards!....had that been my Mom I would already be down there killing people!!!!!!
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Maffumatt
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #3 on: May 29th, 2007, 9:00pm » |
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now thats a crying damn shame, I believe I'd be paying them a visit.
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Linda_Howell
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #4 on: May 29th, 2007, 9:01pm » |
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Quote:| "The company restored electricity to the household early this morning |
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To help how? The woman died. She couldn't care less about electricity now.
Insane world we live in.  It goes beyond all reasonable sense of greed or profit-making. Criminal is what I would call it.
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Redd
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #5 on: May 29th, 2007, 9:22pm » |
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Man's inhumanity to man. It's historic, yet with all the world of technology, it continues.
Go figure...happens every day. When the extreem cases hit the news we shudder ihn horror, but we blame our neighbors for being leaches of the system. What do we know of their plight untill such things as this happens?
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artonio7
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #6 on: May 29th, 2007, 10:21pm » |
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Here's the rub... you can bet your bottom dollar the woman will receive next month's electric bill.
with warm regards,
Tony
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Linda_Howell
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #7 on: May 29th, 2007, 10:25pm » |
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I never thought of that Tony but you are sadly right on the money.
Pun intended.
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Ray
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #8 on: May 30th, 2007, 12:05am » |
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on May 29th, 2007, 10:21pm, artonio7 wrote:Here's the rub... you can bet your bottom dollar the woman will receive next month's electric bill.
with warm regards,
Tony
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And tie up the estate until the debt is settled...
sigh
Ray
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BarbaraD
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #9 on: May 30th, 2007, 12:07pm » |
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It said an ambulance was called. They couldn't wait till the ambulance arrived to cut the power? Have a feeling that the family has a BIG lawsuit here. And justified at that.
BD
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Mosaicwench
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #10 on: May 30th, 2007, 1:53pm » |
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on May 29th, 2007, 9:22pm, Redd wrote:| What do we know of their plight untill such things as this happens? |
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Most people understand that they should contact the utility that provides life-saving/life-extending services BEFORE the crisis arises.
When my dad was living with us, on O2 24/7 through a concentrator, I called WEENER-gy (that's we-energy for the non-Wisconsinites) about arrangements should we lose power because of a storm or maintenance.
We also had a generator just in case.
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BlueMeanie
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #11 on: May 30th, 2007, 2:40pm » |
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on May 30th, 2007, 1:53pm, Mosaicwench wrote:| We also had a generator just in case. |
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That's exactly the first thing that came to mind. PPP. If you know you need constant electric for Life Support, why wouldn't you at least have a battery backup which would have been good for another 30 minutes or more to give the ambulance time to arrive. 
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Mosaicwench
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Re: Warning re oxygen use
« Reply #12 on: May 30th, 2007, 5:38pm » |
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There seems to be more to this story than just what was posted here. . . .
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.
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.
Question one - why didn't the SON do anything other than stand there and watch his mother die?
Question two - couldn't someone, errant contractor or son, have gotten an extension cord and plugged her in to a neighbor's home? Or taken her there himself?
Something is odd about this story . . . something is missing.
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