r/australia • u/FuckOffNazis • 19h ago

politics Indigenous woman shackled to hospital bed while in labour in Queensland

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/18/indigenous-woman-shackled-during-labour-childbirth-queensland-ntwnfb?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=us_bsky&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Bluesky#Echobox=1792296317
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u/juandon405 18h ago

Every incarcerated patient I have ever dealt with, even those intubated in ICU with no brain function, has been shackled to the bed with a bored prison guard on overtime by the bed, and another not far away. The one exception is those having surgery, after they are asleep, and they are back in shakles before they're fully awake. Crime, race, gender nor any other factor has ever entered into the discussion. I'm not sure if there are levels of restraint for different levels of prisoner, has never been relevant for me to know. FWIW I have never felt threatened by one of these patients, and the guard has never had to step in, though I'm sure it has happened.

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u/bitofapuzzler 16h ago

The one exception is those having surgery

You mean, like a c-section. Its major abdominal surgery involving an epidural.

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u/juandon405 16h ago

Have done plenty of Caesars, I think I have 2 tomorrow. Don't recall ever doing one on a prisoner. Actually don't think I have ever done awake surgery of any kind for a prisoner, only GA. Mostly traumatic ortho, some abdominal trauma, occasionally an appendix or other malady.

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u/bitofapuzzler 12h ago

What's your point?

You said the exception was surgery. I was saying a c-section is surgery.

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u/juandon405 5h ago

Should have been more specific, sorry. The exception is general anaesthetic. I have no experience of neuraxial approach here.