NZ physician vows to fight on for Vanuatu baby

By ANNE BESTON

A New Zealand-born doctor will keep fighting to prevent a 6-week-old Vanuatu baby having to return home to die even though surgeons have decided against operating.

Cardiologists believe Karen Mandan would have only a 10 per cent chance of living past 20 years, even with heart surgery and significant on-going care.

But Dr Derek Allen, who flew here from Vanuatu with Karen, her twin, Margaret, and their mother, Julie Mandan, 11 days ago, says he is still exploring alternatives.

"A 10 per cent chance is better than no chance at all," he said.

"I think there are some alternatives I do have and I'm exploring that at the moment but I don't want to say too much in case I damage my chances."

Margaret is recovering well in the Starship children's hospital after surgery over a week ago to correct her inherited heart defect.

Dr Allen and the twins' mother had no idea Karen, brought to New Zealand so breast-feeding could continue while doctors treated her sister, had an even more serious heart condition until she was examined here.

The case has again raised the question of whether people from Pacific Island nations should receive taxpayer-funded surgery, effectively reducing the healthcare available to New Zealanders.

Dr Allen is due to fly back to Vanuatu on Wednesday, with the twins and their mother following in two to three weeks.

Without an operation for Karen, 39-year-old Julie Mandan would return to her village to watch her baby "become bluer and sicker and then die", probably in two to three months, Dr Allen said.

"[Julie Mandan] is tearful. It's lucky she's got one child that has been saved from certain death but everyone hopes for the best for all their children and to be given a final, strong recommendation from the cardiologist here saying, 'Nothing doing', was very upsetting for her."

He said it was a tough question whether doctors would have done the surgery for a New Zealand child.

"I mean, how far do you go? Surgeons are saying with high rates of infection and poor hospital infrastructure in Vanuatu she wouldn't survive but I would like to have seen the baby have an operation rather than face certain death," he said.

Heart unit head Dr Tom Gentles, one of up to five heart specialists involved in the decision not to operate on Karen, said there was no way to make the baby's heart function normally.

She would endure pain and suffering as a result of the surgery, which had little prospect of long-term success.

Margaret's surgery has cost between $40,000 and $50,000, an amount Dr Allen believes he can raise.

He said people had also come forward promising to fund surgery for Karen, which could cost up to $70,000.

"The child will die if we can't find a way but is it reasonable to try and increase her chances of survival or not?

"That's the anguish."

The story so far

* New Zealand-born doctor Derek Allen brings six-week-old twins Karen and Margaret Mandan to Auckland from Vanuatu 11 days ago.

* Margaret needs life-saving heart surgery.

* Margaret's operation goes well.

* Doctors discover Karen also has life-threatening heart problems but decide against operating.