Reason Leader and Member for Northern Metropolitan Region, Fiona Patten, is calling on a safety crackdown on products that contain button batteries, following the tragic death of a toddler at Sunshine Hospital.
Ms Patten said urgent funds must be released for an education campaign and for the Federal Government to adopt the ACCC’s recommendations on button batteries – with 20 children taken to hospital with suspected exposure across Australia each week.
This comes as an inquest yesterday heard how a toddler named Isabella died in February 2015, after being misdiagnosed and sent home from hospital three times by doctors. On her fourth visit to Sunshine Hospital, they found a tiny battery in her oesophagus, but she died soon after.
Yesterday at the inquest, more than four years later, the Coroners Court ordered for sweeping state-wide changes.
“This is an absolute tragedy that should have been avoided,” Ms Patten said.
She said she supported the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission’s (ACCC) recommendation of law changes to bring in general safety provisions for consumer products, and the Federal Government needed to adopt it.
Ms Patten also suggested that an education campaign be established for families about the potential risks for their children.
“These batteries are so widespread, you can find them in everything from greeting cards to remote controls, children’s toys and watches and children can easily mistaken them for a lolly,” she said.
“It’s now up to the Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister to establish an education campaign and the Health Minister to call on the Federal Government to enact the ACCC’s recommendations.”
“There is a way to protect our children from this ever happening again.”
ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said in 2016, when the ACCC launched its code campaign, that every week in Australia 20 children were taken to emergency rooms after suspected exposure to button batteries.
Read the ACCC’s button battery code recommendations from 2016 here.
– Ends –
To organise an interview with Fiona Patten, please phone Kaitlin Bartlett directly.
Media Contact: Kaitlin Bartlett
Phone: 0432 294 500
