Man Who Lived Minutes Away From Hospital Dies Of COVID-19 Waiting For Ambulance

A 77-year-old man in Australia lost his life to COVID-19 while waiting for an ambulance for more than an hour, despite living just minutes away from the hospital.

Derek Dewitt, a fully vaccinated man from Queensland collapsed in his bedroom on Jan. 6 while quarantining, after he tested positive for coronavirus. When Derek suffered shortness of breath and showed symptoms that resembled a heart attack, his wife called an emergency number for an ambulance.

By the time the ambulance arrived, more than an hour after Derek collapsed, he had breathed his last, 9 News reported.

Derek's daughters, Lisa Carmichael and Mareta Dewitt believe that their father's death could have been prevented if the ambulance had arrived on time.

"He got COVID, he went and did everything. He got tests, he lined up, he quarantined, he did everything he was supposed to do but when he needed some help, there was no help for him," Lisa said. The heartbroken family has filed an official complaint with the hospital in light of the tragic death.

When the family asked a policeman why they had a delayed response from the paramedics, he reportedly said: "That's just how long they're taking at the moment."

The family also complained that if they were informed about the possible delay, they would have found an alternative to take Derek to the hospital, which was just 3 miles from their home.

Meanwhile, Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) said the long wait at the hospital was due to the increased demand from the community. They also said they would be conducting a "comprehensive review of the clinical and operational aspects of its response."

"The QAS was experiencing a high level of demand for service with Paramedic availability also affected by significant delays transferring patients at hospital emergency departments," a spokesperson said in a statement, News.com.au reported.

However, Derek's family demands answers for his tragic death and criticized the government's claim that the health system could handle the outbreak. "You said we were prepared, you said our health system is fine, and it clearly isn't fine. It's not ok," Mareta said.