An Indigenous man was writhing and screaming in pain at a regional NSW hospital, but doctors did not scan him and he died soon after being discharged, an inquest has been told.
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Ricky Hampson Jr died on August 16, 2021, from ruptured duodenal ulcers, less than 24 hours after leaving Dubbo hospital's emergency department.
The 36-year-old Kamilaroi-Dunghutti man, known as Dougie, went to the hospital on August 14 reporting "10 out of 10 pain", having felt a tearing sensation in his abdomen.
An inquest has been told a doctor wrongly diagnosed Mr Hampson Jr with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, after he told staff he smoked marijuana that morning.
The syndrome seen in drug users can feature vomiting and nausea - which Mr Hampson Jr did not complain of - and abdominal pain.
Counsel assisting the coroner Simeon Beckett SC said the inquest would examine whether racism and bias were factors in the hospital's failure to order scans.
Along with his race and drug use, Mr Hampson Jr's records listed his next-of-kin as a jail he left a year before.
"I want to explore matters such as whether Dougie's cannabis use, having been a prisoner, or being Aboriginal had any bearing on the diagnosis," Mr Beckett told the inquest in Dubbo on Monday.
Nurses' notes said Mr Hampson Jr was writhing in pain and curled up in the fetal position, while a junior doctor wrote he was screaming in pain.
Mr Hampson Jr's heart rate, blood pressure and breathing were all elevated during his overnight stay, but settled before he was discharged on August 15.
He was observed holding his abdomen in "obvious discomfort" as he left hospital and died at a friend's house early the next day.
The senior treating doctor, who cannot be named, has since acknowledged the incorrect diagnosis and the Western NSW Local Health District has apologised.
Mr Beckett said the case sat in the context of the parliamentary inquiry into rural healthcare, which heard evidence of Indigenous people avoiding Dubbo hospital.
"They will not go to the hospital because of the way they are treated because of the colour of their skin," Mr Beckett said, reading evidence before that inquiry.
Though the inquiry would not form part of the inquest, the coroner would hear from experts concerned about how racism influenced Mr Hampson Jr's treatment, Mr Beckett said.
The Hampson family huddled together in the courtroom, wearing matching shirts emblazoned with a portrait of Dougie.
Deputy State Coroner Erin Kennedy acknowledged they were having to mourn in a difficult setting.
"Grieving is something that most people get to do in their own way, in their own time, privately," Ms Kennedy said.
"This is very public and very, very difficult."
She said the inquest would be emotional, while also going into technical details.
"(Dougie is) never forgotten in this process. We're all here for him."
The inquest is due to run for a fortnight.
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Aboriginal Counselling Services 0410 539 905
Australian Associated Press
