A fundraiser for the family of a Royal Hobart Hospital doctor killed in a highway crash has raised more than $9,000, as donors rally around his grieving relatives overseas.
The GoFundMe page honours Artyom Avetisyan, a cardiothoracic surgery registrar who died in a single-vehicle crash on the Midland Highway at Pontville on June 12.
Organiser Saravuti Tabtiang says the money will go to Avetisyan’s family, who live overseas, as they cope with their grief.
It will also help cover funeral and memorial costs, travel for family members and a possible legacy project in his name.
The page describes Avetisyan as a gentle, softly spoken man who embraced life in Australia.
“He rarely spoke about himself – he spoke about his patients, his training and his hope of becoming the very best surgeon he could be,” the fundraiser says.
“He was a good man. Tasmania was fortunate to have him.”
The campaign also uses Avetisyan’s death to push for change in the health system, saying it “deserves more than condolences”.
“Many clinicians feel unable to speak openly about unsafe workloads or systemic failings for fear of professional consequences. This must change,” the page says.
“Arty cannot speak for himself, but we can speak for him and for the many dedicated clinicians who continue to give everything they have to keep Tasmania’s health system functioning.”
The appeal echoes concerns raised by AMA Tasmania, which is pushing for a review of how the Department of Health manages staff fatigue and long-distance travel.
The peak medical body says the death of any doctor travelling for work “must prompt more than a procedural response”.
It says the circumstances of the crash are a matter for the coroner and WorkSafe Tasmania.
A Department of Health spokesperson said this week several fatigue management procedures were already in place and staff feedback from consultation earlier this year was being collated.
