The Guardian: Migrant workers ‘fear for their safety’ after deaths on Diego Garcia

Workers for US defence contractor KBR concerned after colleagues die on island with no hospital-grade health facility

Migrant workers employed by the US defence contractor KBR on the British-owned island of Diego Garcia have expressed concerns for their safety after the recent deaths of two of their colleagues, the Observer has learned.

The most recent death on Diego Garcia, which is host to a strategic American military base in the British Indian Ocean Territory, came on 5 January. Relemay Fabula Gan, 41, from the Philippines, died after suffering a collapsed lung following several weeks of illness after a Covid diagnosis, her family said.

Diego Garcia does not have a hospital-grade health facility; workers and military personnel who become seriously ill on the island are typically airlifted to a hospital in Singapore.

Gan had been sick for several weeks on the base before her death. Her family and colleagues believe she could have been saved if she had been taken off the island for treatment. The family said Gan had no underlying health conditions and was an award-winning amateur cyclist.

KBR said that Gan’s death was a tragedy. In a statement, it highlighted that she died after being sent to the US military clinic on Diego Garcia for medical care.

“We requested a medevac for her the same day the military doctor requested it. There was no delay in ordering the medevac once KBR received the request from the military doctor,” a KBR spokesperson said. “All of the medical resources available on Diego Garcia were used to try to prevent the tragic loss of Ms Gan.”

Gan died several hours before the medevac – medical evacuation – flight landed. The situation has led to fears among workers that their lives could be at risk if they suffer a medical emergency.

Read full article here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/09/migrant-workers-fear-for-their-safety-after-deaths-on-diego-garcia