The Press
May 6 2008
Charlene near death on arrival at Chch hospital
by Dean Calcott
Charlene Makaza
was near death when she arrived at Christchurch Hospital, a jury has been told.
Emergency medicine
registrar Dr Shuh Fen Moy
told the High Court in Christchurch yesterday that when the 10-year-old girl
was brought in, the initial diagnosis was an overwhelming infection.
Charlene was
"in extremis", or near death.
The focus was on
maintaining her life, looking after breathing and circulation, Moy said.
George Evans
Gwaze, 56, faces a charge of murdering Charlene, his adopted daughter, and two
charges of sexually violating her.
The court heard
yesterday from medical staff who dealt with Charlene at Christchurch Hospital
on January 6 last year, after she was referred from a 24-hour medical centre
where she had been taken by family members.
Hospital staff
told the court Charlene was so ill that their efforts focused on stabilising her condition, which in the end never occurred.
She was transferred to intensive care, where she died early on January 7.
Emergency
department doctor Susannah Gowers said Charlene was
unresponsive and floppy, breathing quickly and with poor circulation.
Obstetric nurse
Susan Wortelboer, who works in the hospital's
children's acute assessment unit, said she was called in as part of the team
dealing with Charlene and noticed an unusual abrasion to Charlene's genitalia.
Questioned by
defence counsel Jonathan Eaton, Wortelboer agreed she
did not see any blood, or sign of diarrhoea, or anything on the sheets. She did
not notice any other injuries.
The court will
hear from more medical staff today