COVID-19 infected Aboriginal people quarantining in medi-hotels in Adelaide's CBD are concerned that the facilities are not equipped to cater for their needs.
Residents from rural and remote communities across the state have been given the option by SA Health to be transported to Adelaide for care if they test positive for the virus.
More than 100 patients have been taken to the Pullman Hotel and Tom's Court Hotel in Adelaide.
Wirangu and Kokatha woman Fiona Miller was flown in from the Eyre Peninsula's Ceduna after her two young grandchildren became infected with COVID-19.
Since Ms Miller and the children arrived, she said the level of care has been “very poor”.
“There’s no cleaning stuff, no sprays, no disinfectants, no gloves, nothing,” she told NITV News.
“I’ve been ringing and ringing and ringing [the front desk], got angry and I left messages and I said I was stuck.
“They sent me some cleaning stuff but the cleaning products that I needed were for the toilet, bathroom and that, but they sent me window spray...”
Ms Miller and other Indigenous residents at the medi-hotels say the food has been below standards.
The Pullman Hotel declined to comment when contacted by NITV News.
A large number of the Indigenous people being sent to quarantine in the hotel speak different dialects, with English being their third, fourth, or even fifth language.
Tyarna Hansen, a pregnant Indigenous woman from Ceduna who tested positive for COVID-19, said she is struggling with the food provided by the hotel. Source: Supplied
SA shadow minister for Aboriginal Affairs Kyam Maher told NITV News on Monday that the government needed to employ more translators and health workers to help people in quarantine.
“There’s nothing to deal with cultural issues, there's no information in language,” said Mr Maher.
“To be locked up in a room after being flown down to Adelaide without information in your own language or without any cultural considerations in place, it’d be exceptionally scary for people.
“Those hotels just haven’t been prepared.”
Assisting the quarantining families is the grassroots organisation SA Aboriginal Action Group.
People in quarantine at the hotel say they the meals provided are not 5-star as the website says, and that they often feel sick after eating. Source: Leonie Lilly Amos (Facebook).
Founder Janette Milera told NITV News the group had been working with the Pullman Hotel on the situation and had also been contacting external organisations to get help.
“We heard that there were some issues with the kids all being stuck in the rooms, mental health issues were not being addressed,” the Kaurna, Narungga and Arabana woman said.
“We as a group went out and touched base with organisations in the community and we ended up getting some support from them in the lines of treasure boxes.
“We’re [also] working on a video and having interpreters, because they are getting a lot of people from APY and they’ve reached out to us for interpreting.”
In a statement to NITV News, SA Health said they were aiming to get more culturally-appropriate help.
“We are working to increase the number of Aboriginal Health Workers and cultural navigators at our Hospital in Hotel sites to improve the experience of Indigenous patients,” it read.
“We do our best to cater for anyone entering hotel quarantine to ensure their stay is as comfortable as possible.
