Three categories of medical experts are likely to be called upon by a coronial inquest examining the death of a five-year-old girl at Canberra Hospital, a court has heard.
The inquest into the death of Rozalia Spadafora will take place in October and December this year, coroner Ken Archer said during an administrative hearing in the ACT Coroner's Court on Friday.
Rozalia died at Canberra Hospital on July 5, 2022, after suffering from the viral infection myocarditis.
She was taken there the previous evening, on her birthday, but had to wait in the emergency department for hours before she was seen.
The five-year-old had a number of tests after she was admitted and was moved multiple times within the hospital.
A decision was ultimately made to transport Rozalia to Sydney but she suffered a cardiac arrest and died before this could happen.
The little girl, who had been counting down the days until her birthday, tragically never got to open her presents.
Rozalia's family, left "broken" by her death, believes the tragedy was "entirely avoidable".
Mr Archer spoke directly to members of the five-year-old's family in court on Friday, explaining to them he was determined to hold the inquest into her death before the end of 2023.
The ACT's first dedicated coroner set a timetable for the case and put counsel assisting, along with lawyers for the territory government, Rozalia's family and two doctors, on notice of his expectations.
Mr Archer said he wanted relevant statements made available "as quickly as possible" so expert witnesses, whose evidence would help him make his findings, could be briefed on the case.
Michael Fordham SC, counsel assisting the coroner, indicated three sorts of experts would likely be required.
Mr Fordham said these were an emergency physician, an infectious diseases expert and a cardiologist.
Mr Archer ultimately listed the inquest to run on two sets of dates, the first of which begins on October 25.
He noted it was "difficult to know, at this stage, how many witnesses will be called".
