Woman on Life Support Dies When Power Shut Off

[Rhino]

Woman on Life Support Dies After Power Company Cuts Electricity

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A New Zealand mother who needed an electric oxygen pump to breathe died after an energy company cut the power to her home due to an unpaid bill, her family claimed Wednesday.

Police said they launched an investigation into the death of Folole Muliaga, 44, on Tuesday, in the northern city of Auckland, which happened within two hours of state-owned company Mercury Energy cutting power to her house.

Mercury Energy's general manager, James Moulder, said the company was devastated by the woman's death and was conducting its own investigation to determine what happened.

He refused to say how much money Muliaga had owed the company.....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276315,00.html

[Republican_Legion]

That sounds like something a loanshark would do if you didnt give them their money on time. Jail the bastards.



I'll wait the Pro-Michael Schiavo crowds response to this. I bet they will say "It was good for everybody"

[DesertFox]

I hate it when that happens.

[Rhino]

Apparently they owed less than $200 and had made two payments, but without her being able to work, they couldn't pay the entire bill.

Sheehan said both Muliaga and her son told the technician she was dependent on the oxygen machine to stay alive and invited him into the house to see it. “Then he cut the power off,” Sheehan told The Associated Press.http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18932496/

[The_Elucidator]

The company restored electricity to the house on Wednesday after learning of her death.

Just in the nick of time! Now the family can watch round the clock coverage of this tragedy! And my question is; did they turn it on out of sympathy or did they do it cause the bill was paid?

Max - You sure you still want to move there?

[Rhino]

Mercury Energy says it keeps a register of customers who have provided proof they need power for medical reasons so their life line is never unplugged.

But, Folole Muliaga was not on that list. And the company says when its contractor went to the house he was never told she had a life-threatening condition.

"There'd been contact with them for the preceding seven weeks or so about an outstanding amount of around $160 to $200," says Doug Heffernan of Mercury Energy.http://thefloridamasochist.blogspot.com/

[Rhino]

As expected, there's more than one side to this story.

The family said it pleaded with the contractor not to cut the power because it was needed to operate her machine and keep her alive.

Mercury Energy said it had no knowledge power was needed to keep the machine going....

....He acknowledged there were different versions of the event but said that did not mean they were backing their own contractor.

"We have never said we are backing one story versus the other.

"It is not our job to make a judgement on what are the actual facts. That will come through the investigation."

Mr Heffernan said the contractor saw Mrs Muliaga wearing a tube.

"However, can one expect someone who is from an electrician-type background to make a medical decision?"....

....* The electrical supply to Mrs Muliaga's property was disconnected as per our instruction to electrical contractors at, or around, 11am.

* The electrical contractor spoke to a youth at the property (understood to be Mrs Muliaga's son) and advised him that the power was due for disconnection due to non-payment. Mrs Muliaga's son accepted that power was to be disconnected at the property and made no mention of Mrs Muliaga's medical condition. Following the disconnection but prior to leaving the property the electrical contractor was asked by the son to speak to Mrs Muliaga about the disconnection.

* It was explained to Mrs Muliaga, by the electrical contractor, that disconnection had occurred due to non-payment of her account. Mrs Muliaga enquired about the time it would take to have the account reconnected -- it was explained that staff were on stand-by to reconnect properties once payment had been arranged. A card detailing the telephone numbers to call to make arrangements for payment was provided to Mrs Muliaga. At no time was the issue of Mrs Muliaga's medical condition or her reliance on medical equipment made known to the electrical contractor. He did note that she had a medical tube in her nose but this was not connected to any equipment.

* The first direct contact with representatives of the family to Mercury Energy, through a Victim Support person at the Otahuhu Police Station, occurred just prior to 8pm. A request to reconnect power to assist a family preparing for a funeral was made.

* Attempts were made after being alerted to the tragic circumstance surrounding Mrs Muliaga's death to have power reconnected as late as midnight. But we were unable to reach the family at the phone number we had on file, power was reconnected prior to 8am the following morning....http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10442927

[DeclinetoState]

Sheehan said both Muliaga and her son told the technician she was dependent on the oxygen machine to stay alive and invited him into the house to see it. “Then he cut the power off,” Sheehan told The Associated Press. Unfortunately, the victim was not Cindy Sheehan.

[MrsJacks]

Disgraceful! In my town, when you apply for electrical service, the questionaire asks you if you or anyone in your home requires any sort of breathing apparatus or other electrical life support machines. If you do, they will not discontinue your service until they know that person is safely in another location. They will also be a bit more lenient about paying your debt to them. It's a shame that poor woman died because of what seems to be a massive oversight on the power company's behalf.

[Rhino]

The woman did not have that condition when she applied for electrical service, and apparently never informed the power company of it when it occurred.

[DesertFox]

I don't think it's the power company's fault in any way. Nor do I think it's the power company's responsibility to poll its customers periodically to find out who has what infirmity.

HOWEVER, it would be nice of the power company to have an office that handled just this sort of thing; and it would be nice of broadcasters to provide public service announcements to the effect of "If you have a condition that requires uninterrupted electricity in your home, call this number so the power company will know."