ANOTHER DEATH BY PUBLIC MEDICINE

An investigation has been launched into the death of a 15-year-old Brisbane boy forced to wait three years for a kidney transplant – even though his father was a willing donor. Ken Oliphant has revealed how his son, Ben, died in his arms before the life-saving surgery could be performed. He claims the transplant was repeatedly delayed and, at one stage, he was told the operation had been cancelled because staff at the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane had gone on holidays. "You watch your kid die in front of your eyes and you never forget that," he said. "I couldn't understand the delay. Why did we have to wait so long when they had me as the donor?"

Mr Oliphant, 42, this week lodged an official complaint with the Health Rights Commission, an independent watchdog which reports to State Parliament. Mr Oliphant, a single father, has also spoken to police and received a written assurance from Premier Peter Beattie that his son's death will be investigated. The Royal Children's Hospital administration strenuously denies Mr Oliphant's claims. District manager Professor Alan Isles said the hospital had acted properly.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Mr Oliphant said he offered to donate one of his kidneys as soon as it became known Ben had suffered renal failure. However, the hospital took more than two years to accept him as a donor and then kept postponing the surgery "until it was too late". Mr Oliphant claimed the hospital tried to cover up the matter by secretly paying for Ben's funeral expenses and asking him to sign confidentiality documents, which he refused to do. "They want me to shut up and go away. They said it would not be in my best interests to make the case public," he said. "But I just want some answers. I cannot let my son die for no reason . . . this is a human life we are talking about. Ben's death was preventable. I could have had another 40 years with my son."

Mr Oliphant said Ben, the younger of two sons he had raised on his own, came home from a camp in 2002 with two lumps on his neck. Tests revealed the then 12-year-old's kidneys had failed. "They gave us two choices: wait on the transplant list or see if I was compatible," Mr Oliphant said. "It took me about two seconds to make up my mind." However, Mr Oliphant claimed hospital officials refused to operate until his son's condition had worsened, which a doctor later admitted was a mistake. "Almost every month I would ring them up but they would say that Ben had to hit rock bottom before they would operate," he said. "It was only when Ben's condition worsened in June last year that there was suddenly some urgency and they allowed me to do the donor tests."

Mr Oliphant said he passed three of the four categories needed for him to become Ben's donor. "I was a near perfect match. I am fit, not fat, I look after myself, I'm in great health. I was ready for it," he said. Mr Oliphant said after he passed a further psychiatric evaluation in September, he and Ben were booked in for the seven-hour operation, which costs about $15,000, on October 14. However, he said the surgery was cancelled and rescheduled for November only to be cancelled again. Mr Oliphant said no "valid reason" was given for the cancellations. "They told me people were not there, they had gone on holiday," he said. Mr Oliphant said that when he complained about the delay, a senior hospital official told him: "It's not over until the fat lady sings." He has identified the official in his complaint. A new surgery date was set for December 9, but Ben died on November 25.

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