A Vietnamese woman, in acute pain after fracturing her spine in a fall from a bunk bed, was taken off today's forced repatriation flight at the last minute. Nguyen Thi Tam, 39, who now wears a back brace, was supposed to be sent back to Hanoi this morning with her family. But Mr Justice James Findlay granted a temporary injunction stopping her removal in a special hearing last night after an appeal by lawyers. Ms Tam has been in agony since falling 21/2 metres from a third-tier bunk on September 14 while hanging up washing at the High Island camp. Doctors said she should not get out of bed for a month and would need another two months to recover. But Ms Tam, 39, was sent straight from Sha Tin Hospital to Victoria Prison three weeks ago before a forced repatriation flight to Vietnam. Lawyer Rob Brook of Refugee Concern said: 'She is in no condition to go back. She cannot physically make the journey. Sending her back now would be in blatant disregard of fundamental human rights. 'We've never come across a case of someone who has such serious medical injuries and who is in such desperate need of proper medical care being sent back to Vietnam. 'When we visited her in Victoria Prison she was in acute pain, pain where it even hurts to breathe. 'She comes from Haiphong and the chances of her getting rehabilitative treatment on return are minimal.' Ms Tam's three sons aged 17 to 20 and her husband were also removed from the flight. Refugee lawyers took the case to the High Court last night after being alerted to Ms Tam's plight. The judge granted a temporary injunction pending the filing of full judicial review papers. Lawyers have also written to government refugee co-ordinator Brian Bresnihan to complain about the decision to send Ms Tam back. About 1,150 boat people are to be removed tomorrow from Whitehead detention centre before repatriation in the biggest such operation in recent years. Sources said 800 to 900 police and security staff would be deployed. Half the Vietnamese will be moved to Victoria Prison and the remainder to Whitehead's new high-security Section Eight.
