The death of a Sudanese refugee who alleged repeated negligence over six months by health providers on Manus Island is set to be investigated by a Senate committee.
Labor immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann has asked that Faysal Ishak Ahmed's death be examined by the legal and constitutional affairs references committee, which is already inquiring into allegations of abuse of asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru.
"Given media reports suggesting asylum seekers on Manus Island had requested better medical treatment for Mr Ahmed and the ongoing cases of alleged neglect, abuse and self-harm at the centre, I believe this matter falls within the committee's remit," Mr Neumann says in a letter obtained by Fairfax Media.
"This inquiry was established to investigate matters of this nature and the reporting timeframe of 30 March 2017 provides a suitable window that will allow for thorough investigation of Mr Ahmed's death."
Mr Ahmed, 27, died on Christmas Eve, nine days after filing a formal complaint demanding to know why more than 20 visits to the centre's clinic had not produced a diagnosis of his ailments, let alone a treatment plan.
More than 200 of the Manus detainees have signed a letter calling for a royal commission to investigate the death. They assert that more than 400 of the almost 900 detainees at the centre require emergency medical treatment.
Mr Ahmed's death was confirmed in a statement on the Immigration and Border Force Department website on Christmas Eve, saying a 27-year-old Sudanese refugee had "sadly died today from injuries suffered after a fall and seizure at the Manus Regional Processing Centre".
The man was taken to a clinic on Manus for urgent treatment, then flown to Australia for further medical care, the statement said. He died at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
Mr Ahmed's complaint said he had been suffering from chest pains, swollen arms and fingers, breathing problems, high blood pressure and a "problem at the back of my head" for more than six months.
A week after filing it, he visited the detention centre medical clinic and returned to his compound to tell friends the doctor had told him there was nothing wrong with him and not to come back.
This prompted about 60 Sudanese detainees to write to the health provider, International Health and Medical Services, pleading for Mr Ahmed to be given urgent treatment.
IHMS has emphatically rejected allegations of negligence, asserting Mr Ahmed "was seen by clinicians and other allied health professionals at the clinic on numerous occasions in the three months preceding his death for multiple issues and his presenting medical issues were assessed, investigated and managed".
Greens leader Richard Di Natale has declared his support for an independent parliamentary inquiry, saying: "This completely preventable death is the latest symbol of the cruelty, inhumanity and heartlessness of these camps."
