Brisbane man learned he might die as he watched the news from his hospital bed

Two people have died amid claims heart transplant patients found out about a potentially deadly hospital fungal outbreak while watching the news in their ward.

Five patients were diagnosed with a fungal infection after elevated levels of mould were found in a storage area at the Prince Charles Hospital’s heart transplant unit in Brisbane’s north.

Two of those people died – Muhammad Hussain, 55, and 45-year-old Adam Retmock.

However Queensland Health said there was no link between the deaths and the fungal infection in hospital’s storage area, saying both patients were diagnosed with a different strain.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said the transplant unit had been paused for a deep clean but was now “absolutely safe”, reopening last week.

But in state parliament on Tuesday, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said Mr Retmock’s family had told him that the transplant patient found out the fungal outbreak could be potentially fatal while lying in his hospital bed watching the TV news, days before his death.

Ms Fentiman said it was “totally unacceptable” if that was true but had been assured by the heart transplant unit that they had spoken directly to every patient about the outbreak.

“If that has not happened then I want to again sincerely apologise to those families,” she told parliament.

“I absolutely agree it is not good enough if a family found out via the news.”

Ms Fentiman said Mr Retmock had suffered a range of complications unrelated to the fungal infection before his death.

“These are some of the most vulnerable patients in our hospital system and they are prone to a number of infections,” she said.

The minister said a number of different fungal strains had been identified but only one patient was diagnosed with the one found in the storage unit.

“That doesn’t minimise the devastating death of this particular patient,” she said of Mr Retmock.

Of the three remaining heart transplant patients with fungal infections, two are recovering at home while the other is in hospital with an unrelated clinical issue.

“Given how prevalent mould is in the community, every relevant patient has been placed on anti-fungal treatment,” Ms Fentiman said.

“We will continue to support any of the heart transplant patients that have identified fungal infections and make sure they’re getting the very best treatment.

“I am advised… that the transplant unit is absolutely safe.”

Clinical reviews of both deaths were ongoing, the minister said.

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