A Greater Western Area Health Service spokesperson yesterday said they were investigating the case, but had not received a formal complaint about it.

Amanda Collins is now at the Royal Prince Alfred hospital with a spinal drip in her back, after being flown to Sydney by air ambulance in a critical condition last week.

When she arrived in Sydney, her vision was blurred and she could not even read the top level of the eye test.

Tests were performed on her and doctors realised she had pressure and fluid on her brain, and severe damage behind her eyes.

Amanda’s aunty, Donna Pilon is in Sydney with Amanda and her mother and grandmother, praying her eyesight is restored.

Amanda has been bedridden for a week now and has eye patches on both eyes.

She was undergoing a dye test yesterday when Ms Pilon spoke to the Daily Liberal, and will have another test on Thursday to see if there are blockages.

Ms Pilon said Amanda had presented to Dubbo Base three times in the last three weeks and was even assessed by a medical team.

Each time she was told it was a mental health problem and that she should see someone about her depression.

It was not until Amanda went to a GP at a medical centre in Dubbo that she was referred to an optometrist who said she needed to go to Sydney immediately for more tests.

After being flown to Sydney last Tuesday, Amanda had a “very crucial operation” on Wednesday night and another on Thursday night.

“The operations were temporary and urgent to save her sight,” Ms Pilon said. “But we still don’t know if her eyesight will be restored.”

Ms Pilon said she was concerned about the misdiagnosis and that there was obviously an underlying problem at the hospital that needed to be addressed.

“We’re going public because we don’t want to see another family go through what we’re going through,” Ms Pilon said. “We’ve got to do something.

“Dubbo Base really needs an internal investigation to see what’s going wrong.”

A Greater Western Area Health Service spokesperson said they would investigate what happened in this case.

They urged people with issues to contact the health service so that their concerns could be discussed with them personally.

“The Health Service is not aware of any formal complaint that has been lodged with the Area Health Service on this matter,” the spokesperson said yesterday.

“All complaints are taken seriously and will be investigated.”

carly.dolan@ruralpress.com