Review finds critical lapses in Mackay Base Hospital care before father's death

An internal root-cause analysis of the care provided to Amenatave "Mena" Tuibua found multiple breakdowns at Mackay Base Hospital, including failure to monitor his heart rhythm, misinterpretation of his ECG and a delayed review of a critical troponin test. Reviewers said clinicians may have looked at another patient's blood results, and that chest-pain protocols were not fully followed. The hospital was operating at full capacity on the night of May 26, 2025, with no free beds and patients waiting in ambulances, which reviewers said contributed to the errors.

The analysis linked staff fatigue and workload pressures to the missed assessments. The report also noted that similar capacity constraints have been associated with other serious incidents across Queensland Health. The Queensland Coroners Court has reopened the investigation into Mr. Tuibua's death, and the health service has pledged procedural improvements while apologising to the family.