CAMPBELLTOWN AGAIN, AND AGAIN

John Haywood, son Johnny ask why mother, wife, Marie died

By Rhett Watson, State Political Reporter, Daily Telegraph

January 03, 2009 12:00am

JOHN Haywood will spend this morning in a church chapel watching a video of the life he shared with his wife of 25 years, Marie.

He and his 15-year-old son Johnny won't speak at her funeral - the only word they can think of at the moment is "why."

Why was she told she was well enough to leave Campbelltown Hospital despite having pneumonia she contracted in there.

"My wife went into Campbelltown Hospital two days before Christmas Day for a routine operation and now she is dead," Mr Haywood said yesterday.

"She wasn't going in there to die.

"They made her sick and they should have made her better. She was only 43."

Her death has sparked a full investigation into events leading to her death on Monday.

Mrs Haywood went into hospital to have fluid removed from her stomach; a minor operation done under local anaesthetic. By Christmas Day she was seriously ill with pneumonia as well but

Mr Haywood said a specialist, without actually seeing her, decided she was well enough to go home.

"One of the staff there told Marie's sister they didn't have a lot of staff on anyway and she'd probably get better care at home," Mr Haywood said. "She didn't want to go home because she knew was still too unwell."

By December 27 Mrs Haywood could not breathe and was rushed back to Campbelltown Hospital where she was immediately put in intensive care. She died on Monday.

Mr Haywood believes the State Government's penny-pinching in health contributed, in a large way, to her death.

"Most of the beds and rooms were closed off when we were in there," he said.

"We want to know whether it was the system that fell down or the people."

The hospital and state Government argue there was enough staff and would not say more as the matter was being investigated.