Family of Vietnamese Mother Who Died from Missed UTI Calls for Better Hospital Care

Gia Lam, who arrived from Vietnam in 2010 and worked as a waitress in Cabramatta, died three days after delivering her son when a urinary-tract infection went undetected. She reported difficulty urinating on January 21, was advised only to increase fluid intake, and an abnormal urine result on January 31 was never acted upon. After birth, staff noted a strong odor from her perineum but failed to order urgent tests, and she was sent home without an interpreter despite limited English.

At a home-care visit, the midwife focused on hygiene rather than escalating care, and Gia’s condition rapidly worsened, resulting in sepsis and cardiac arrest at Liverpool Hospital. Deputy State Coroner Rebecca Hosking ruled the death preventable, recommending investigation of the midwife and an audit of maternity records for patients from diverse backgrounds. The South Western Sydney Local Health District has expressed condolences, updated postnatal policies, and mandated interpreter use, while Lily Tran and Gia’s uncle Sen Trinh call for broader hospital improvements.