Son Condemns Australian Consulate Over Father's Fatal Bali Medical Crisis
The son of a Queensland man who died in Bali after the Australian consulate refused to assist with his urgent medical transfer has strongly criticised the behaviour of officials, labelling it as unacceptable. Wayne Harvey, aged 69, passed away in a Bali hospital on January 7, 2023, following complications from a botched appendix removal surgery.
Failed Transfer Attempts and Consular Delays
Wayne Harvey had been admitted to Puri Raharja Hospital in Denpasar with suspected appendicitis on Christmas Eve 2022. After suffering severe complications from the operation, doctors advised that he needed to be transferred to another hospital for better treatment. The hospital informed his son, Jake Harvey, who was in Australia at the time, that his father's passport was required for the transfer to proceed, but it could not be located.
Jake Harvey, as Wayne's only son and next of kin, contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs' 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on January 1 to request an emergency passport for the medical transfer. Despite explaining that his father was unconscious and critically ill, Mr Harvey claims the consular official told him they could not discuss the situation without his father's permission due to the Privacy Act.
Unanswered Communications and Tragic Outcome
Mr Harvey said multiple follow-up emails went unanswered, even after he sent confronting videos and photos of his father on life support, having flown to Bali to support him. Six days after initially contacting the consulate, his father died. Wayne Harvey was living in Bali when he was hospitalised, and the Puri Raharja hospital is known to not meet Australian medical standards.
It was only while attending his father's cremation that Mr Harvey received a call from the consulate offering help. They called me up and said, 'Please let us know if there's anything we can do – let us know and we'll help' - that was the cruel part, Mr Harvey told The Guardian. I just told them: It's too late now. I needed your help when I first called. This offer for help now is useless, it's worthless.
Delayed Apology and Official Response
A complaint lodged by Mr Harvey two days after his father's death was ignored for over two years. The Department eventually sent an apology letter from assistant secretary Paula Brewer, stating the department did not initially have a clear understanding of the seriousness of [his father's] condition and acknowledging that processes and timeframes were not clearly explained.
Mr Harvey described the department's claim as unacceptable, noting that officials never visited Wayne in hospital despite the local Australian consulate being a 15-minute drive away. He believes his father could have survived if the transfer had been facilitated. I want people to be warned that, when the going gets tough, the consulate will not have your back. Even if they can, they will choose not, he said.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman stated an internal review found the case was managed in line with established consular procedures, but identified areas to improve communication with family members, with changes since implemented. The review concluded these issues were not related to the medical outcome.
