Eight-year-old from East Kimberley waits nearly two days for critical flight to Perth
An eight-year-old boy with a severe scalp injury in Warmun waited almost 48 hours before a Royal Flying Doctor Service flight took him to Perth for surgery.
Rachel McKay’s eight-year-old son suffered a degloving head injury in a motorbike accident near Warmun, East Kimberley, on June 7, leaving his scalp ripped and his skull visible. He was rushed to the local WA Country Health-run clinic and consulted via video with a Perth-based doctor who recommended immediate transfer for surgery. The clinic could not secure a Royal Flying Doctor Service plane that night because the airstrip lacked lighting, and the family was advised to travel 161 km to Halls Creek for a possible flight.
After an overnight stay at Halls Creek Hospital, a flight was arranged on June 9, landing in Perth at 11 p.m., where surgeons operated on the child. Two months later he is recovering, but the family remains concerned about the adequacy of emergency care in remote Western Australia.
Why it matters
The case highlights gaps in emergency medical retrieval for remote communities in Western Australia.
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