Doctor's widow receives maximum compo (The Age)

A Victorian hospital has paid the maximum compensation to the widow of a young doctor who died from epilepsy brought on by an excessive workload.

Dr Peter Nettelbeck, 28, was found dead at an accommodation unit at the Latrobe Regional Hospital, near Traralgon, 160km east of Melbourne, about midday on December 4, 2004.

The doctor, who had suffered a fatal epilepsy attack sometime after finishing his shift at the hospital about 12.30am (AEDT) on the same day, had been staying in the unit because he was on call.

Law firm Maurice Blackburn Cashman acted on behalf of Dr Nettelbeck's widow Katherine and their children Jeremy, five, and Elizabeth, two. Elizabeth was born a month after her father's death.

A spokesman for Maurice Blackburn Cashman said Latrobe Regional Hospital had agreed to pay Dr Nettelbeck's widow the maximum $186,650 in compensation allowable under the Victorian WorkCover Act.

The hospital also had agreed to pay Dr Nettelbeck's two children $10,370 each, with the money eing placed in a trust fund.

The family's lawyers said that Dr Nettelbeck's workload was a significant factor in his death.

The Melbourne County Court has heard evidence that Dr Nettelbeck's roster contributed to his death. In the 12 days prior to his death, he worked shifts finishing at 12.30am and was then on call after that time.

Documents submitted to the court showed that a medical panel had found that the shift work combined with being on call had resulted in sleep deprivation and irritability of the autonomic nervous system - which helps the body cope with stress - aggravating Dr Nettelbeck's epilepsy.

Ms Nettelbeck's lawyer Liberty Sanger said her client was happy with the outcome, but had maintained that her husband's death could have been avoided.

"She feels vindicated because she knew that Peter was complaining about being sleep deprived prior to his death," Ms Sanger said.

"But she also feels angry because she and Peter did so much together to manage his epilepsy, and she feels this was an avoidable tragedy."

Dr Nettelbeck, who had moved to Gippsland with his family at the beginning of 2004, was undertaking a post-graduate practitioner training register course at the time of his death.

In a tribute in the Gippsland Education and Training for General Practice 2005 annual report, Dr Nettelbeck was described as generous and warm, with "a delightful sense of humour".

"Our profession and community have suffered a great loss with his passing," the tribute said.

© 2007
AAP

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The Greening of the Religious Right

I have been listening in to Jean Feraca at www.wpr.org/hearonearth/, an online radio program. a couple of weeks ago she talked with Calvin B. DeWitt about the National Association of Evangelicals taking up the cause of global warming and "creation care". Then I came across this transcript of another interview from Living on Earth.



It's great to see Christians coming to the political fore of the call to care for God's Creation, not use and abuse it. Shame on those with their heads in the proverbial sand.





Technorati Tags: environment, religion, creation

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How effective is my life? Part 2

I checked out an article on personal goal setting at www.mindtools.com. I have used their materials before, namely when I prepared a SWOT analysis for the staff at Shining Light. It's a good read and I plan to use it as a basis for setting goals and a life plan.



I haven't really ever thought of Life Goals. I am such an 'in the present moment' person that trying to set goals for my life is overwhelming. But I am caught in a trap. To enjoy each moment I really need to set goals.



The other part of goal setting which I am poor at is reviewing my goals and achievements. I am the guy who writes in his daytimer my plans and meetings, but never bothers to look at them to make sure I am on time. When life is cruzy it's not a big problem, but when it's busy I end up double- and triple- booking myself.



Ultimately, my current malaise had been determined by my inability and lack of desire to set goals for myself. I have let life happen, and nothing much has happened as a result - or they happen by accident.



Technorati Tags: goal setting, life goals, effectivity

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The War Against Terror

I have been heartened by the recent reports on TV and in the print media, of our military efforts in Afghanistan. In a true "war against terror" our military are working against terrorism and militant opponents by "making them irrelevant". By completing "backyard blitzes" throughout their area of service, the true heroes in the "war against terrorism" are an inspiration in times that are filled with despair. Whether the war is finally won or not, the people who experience the generosity and commitment of our service men and women will remember them with fondness and kindness and perhaps will join in to make terrorism irrelevant, too.

Nauru and the offshore processing of asylum seekers

The incumbent Government should immediately dismantle the program and policy of off-shore processing of asylum seekers (no matter how they arrive to Australian territories), and every political party should make it a major area of policy to do so if they were to win office. The same should be done for a national apology to Indigenous Australians. As we battle the overseas shame of Guantanamo Bay detainees, we are still left with the morally bankrupt practices of shipping our problems to other nations and ignoring the damage and humiliation inflicted on the first people's of Australia.

The Esteem of Women in Society

Shopping in Target the other day for my new son, I came across a t-shirt with the "10 reasons why beer is better than women" stenciled on it. I was entranced with the depth of insight by such wisdoms as, "beer won't complain when you put it in the fridge to cool off for an hour", or "beer won't complain if you touch another one". To be frankly honest, I was dismayed that a large chain-store such as Target would be willing to promote the degradation of women. Not only feminists, but compassionate men and women of all walks of life, are tired of the constant abuse of women throughout our society. On the flip side, it degrades men. The t-shirt displays the stereotyped disdain men have for women. In an age that is significant for it's hatreds and fears, this vision of male/female relations points us in the wrong direction. Obviously aimed at the younger end of the spectrum of the community, it belies the age-old Australian tradition of the weekend bender. Isn't it time we gave our young men and women a bolder, more imaginative vision of how the two sexes can relate? Hopefully without the need for litres of alcohol as a social lubricant. As a father of two young boys (2 years and 2 weeks) I truly hope they will grow up with appreciation for a world where men and women don't just coexist, but treat each other with admiration, respect and honour.

Magpies

This afternoon has brought me a lot of joy and happiness as a father.

When Patrick woke from his afternoon sleep we walked down the back yard of my parent's house to find a magpie or two, and throw some bread at them.

I was enthralled by Patrick toddling down the garden, tearing off a chunk of bread and throwing it to the magpie.

What was even more gratifying was that the magpie had been waiting for us - seeing us from his afternoon nap spot, he rushed from under a tree straight for Patrick, and the bread he was holding. No fear, just eager for a feed. Once Patrick threw the bread at him it was a different matter! Chasing the magpie around a clump of gum trees.

How effective is my life?

I subscribe to the philosophy that effectiveness is best evaluated by how closely aligned are my actions to my values. After all,

"if you don't live the way you think is right, you'll end up thinking the way you live is right." the GROW Blue Book

It is scary to me just how true this statement is, and how much I have fallen into the "thinking the way I live is right". At 32, nearly 33, I am consciously concerned that the idealism of my late teens and my twenties has gone the way of the birds, and like the free-swinging hippies of the sixties, end up a corporate stalwart. And this is something I just don't want to happen.

I am thirty-two and wondering just what impact my life is really having. Am I really changing the world the way I thought I could and would. I was so sure that my life was going to change things big-time. But as I look at what has actually changed by my efforts, I am ashamed and concerned. How can I do better? How can I be confident of the values of my life and that I really am an effective change agent in this world?

I am coming to the conclusion that I need some benchmarks. The only way to be sure that my life is effective, is to set myself some concrete goals, and evaluate them in the future. Well, this is probably very obvious now that I've written it down, and most likely the real problem is that I haven't been setting goals for a very long time.

So what are my goals?

Firstly, there are two "circles of influence" that are important to me:

1. to live a responsible and sustainable lifestyle
2. to effect positive change in others (both individuals and corporate entities, including family, local, national and international) towards a compassionate society.
   

to be continued ...

International Women's Day

This Thursday past was International Women's Day. I am sorry to say that
I missed it. I would like to say that, with a new born baby in hand, I
have a good excuse. But it seems that inequality between the sexes
continues domestically and in the workplace, and perhaps it is no wonder
that I missed it, I am still ignoring the need to promote women to
equality with men.

For the past week, though, I have been reading articles about how women
continue to earn lower than average wages in comparison to their male
counterparts, that men continue to have nothing to do with housework and
that men and women prefer their bosses to be male. For a world that has
come a long way in the 20th Century, there are many social landmarks
waiting to be celebrated in the 21st Century. Let us hope that with our
best actions women will truly achieve equality and a fair go in society.
After all, if it wasn't for women we wouldn't be here, the dinner
wouldn't have been made on time, the nappies wouldn't have been washed,
the kids dropped off at school, there would be no-one to take time off
from work to look after sick family members, and most importantly, there
wouldn't be any sex.

So come on guys, lets get things right for a change!

Thought for the Day - The difference between values and ideology

"Values are faithfully applied to the facts before us, while ideology
overrides whatever facts call theory into question."
Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope.