KEY POINTS:
Despite repeated warnings about how serious her health was, Folole Muliaga often went without her medication and sometimes without her oxygen ventilator, a coroner's court has been told.
The evidence was given today by registered nurse Diana Hart, who had provided clinic and in-home care for Mrs Muliaga, at an inquest into her death in Auckland.
Counties Manukau District Health Board also revealed today it would not have tried to save Folole Muliaga if her heart had stopped.
Medical records presented to the Coroner show that if Mrs Muliaga had suffered a cardiac arrest in hospital, no attempt would have been made to resuscitate her.
Dr Andrew Veale, a respiratory expert for the DHB, said neither Mrs Muliaga nor her family knew about this, and they should have been kept informed.
But Dr Veale said she could have died at any stage, even while using her oxygen machine for the recommended 16 hours a day.
Mrs Muliaga, who was using an oxygen machine, died in her Mangere home three hours after a contractor cut her power last year because of an overdue bill of $168.40.
Mercury Energy has been fiercely criticised over its decision to disconnect the power at Mrs Muliaga's home because of an unpaid bill.
Ms Hart told the inquest Mrs Muliaga was repeatedly told she needed to lose weight, or it could lead to further health problems.
Mrs Muliaga's weight was normally around 168kg and she found it hard to lose weight, she said.
Ms Hart said Mrs Muliaga told her stress from attending teachers' training college and running a house meant "she did not always think about what she eats".
The pair discussed Mrs Muliaga getting a disability allowance so she could afford food which would benefit her health.
Ms Hart said she warned Mrs Muliaga repeatedly about her diet, which included fatty foods, and her lack of exercise.
At one point she showed Mrs Muliaga an X-ray of her chest showing her enlarged heart and explained her heart would not cope if she did not take her health seriously.
Mrs Muliaga had admitted to her that at times she did not take her medication, despite being told she needed to in order to reduce fluid and help her breathing.
At one stage Mrs Muliaga went to Wellington for two weeks on holiday, ignoring her regular medical routine.
Ms Hart said she had told Mrs Muliaga that if she did not change her lifestyle drastically she would not last the year, she said.
At one home visit in 2004 Mrs Muliaga told Ms Hart she had problems paying the extra power costs which came with running the oxygen machine, so was not using it as often as required.
Ms Hart said this was the only time Mrs Muliaga shared any concerns about power costs or financial concerns and they arranged a monthly payment to cover the extra costs.
During her home visits and at the clinic, Ms Hart said she had stressed the need to use the oxygen machine at least 16 hours a day at the required dose.
Ms Hart broke down as she said she had been sad at hearing of Mrs Muliaga's death while she had been on holiday overseas.
Under cross-examination by lawyers for the Muliaga family, Ms Hart admitted she had not told Mrs Muliaga directly that she was going to die but that she was aware of the serious nature of her health problems.
Ms Hart defended her actions, saying she was not going to tell her patients to give up hope and that that was a doctor's role.
Conversations over her health with her family, especially when her younger children were present, were kept "light" because Mrs Muliaga wanted it that way.
Ms Hart refuted that Mrs Muliaga did not understand the enormity of her health prognosis and that she did not know she was dying.
Earlier Andrew Veale, a respiratory specialist, told the court he would have expected Mrs Muliaga to go to hospital or take appropriate action in calling for help if she felt her condition was deteriorating.
The hearing will continue tomorrow.
- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB
