TEARS and anger have followed a coroner's finding that no one was to blame for the death of a Mareeba mother-of-five twice turned away in pain from her local hospital.

Coroner Kevin Priestly yesterday said Mareeba Hospital did not have the staff or equipment to save Sharon
Con Goo, who died of bacterial septicemia in January 2007.

But he cleared its doctors of any negligence, finding it was unlikely they could have done anything to save her life.

Relatives reacted angrily yesterday after Mr Priestly found there was "no missed opportunity for medical intervention that would have affected the outcome" of Ms Con Goo’s case.

Ms Con Goo was not admitted to the hospital on January 7 nor January 9 after presenting on both dates with serious pain caused by a septic leg.

On one occasion she was sent home with Panadol to ease her suffering.

She returned to the hospital on January 10 and was transferred to Cairns Base Hospital, where she died on
January 11.

During the inquest in August, Mareeba Hospital doctor Asif Majeed said he offered to admit Ms Con Goo during her second visit, but she refused.

But her husband, Andrew Con Goo, testified that his wife was not given the option of being admitted, despite having her bags packed to stay overnight.

Ms Con Goo's mother, Faye Rigg, broke down outside court yesterday, telling reporters that her daughter was in such a poor state of health, family members had to carry her to the hospital.

She said she was upset at the verdict, labelling it ""bulls---''.

Mr Priestly said he reviewed a range of expert medical opinions to conclude it was unlikely Mareeba Hospital staff could have prevented Ms Con Goo`s death.

But he also found the hospital was "not properly equipped with the resources or medical professionals required''.

Former Tablelands MP Rosa Lee Long, who attended the inquest, said yesterday's findings should prove worrying for people who rely on Mareeba Hospital.

"She packed her bags to be admitted, and what did they do? They turned her away,'' Ms Lee Long said.

"Everyone should be frightened, everyone should be concerned.''

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