Manus refugee charged with assault labeled 'the victim'

A Manus Island refugee charged after allegedly assaulting a doctor is the victim of negligence, a journalist says.

The Post Courier reported the 27-year-old man from Iran allegedly assaulted a psychiatrist from Pacific International Hospital at the Refugee Transit Centre in Lorengau.

Provincial police commander David Yapu told the newspaper the refugee appeared in the Lorengau District Court court on Monday and was released on a $US60 bail.

The Kurdish journalist and Manus Island refugee Behrouz Boochani said it was not a serious incident.

The refugee was a victim of reduced healthcare services and should not be blamed for the system's failure, Mr Boochani said.

"They always blame the victim. What I know about this case is that actually they should blame the system not the refugee," he said.

"They deliberately reduced medical facilities and are playing with our health."

The Post Courier also reported another refugee from Iran had appeared in the court charged with damaging property.

It said the court adjourned the case and referred the man to a psychiatrist after his lawyer claimed he had a serious mental illness.

Mr Boochani said the refugees exiled to the island by Australia were not the only ones suffering.

"Many local people are sick now but there are not enough medical facilities at Manus General Hospital to provide treatment for their own people," he said.

With about 600 refugees on the island expected to seek treatment at the hospital after business hours, Mr Boochani said "like the local people, the refugees are so tired of this system".

He said the Australian government had paid the companies "Paladin about $AU176 million and JDA about $AU 21 million" to secure and manage the refugees and that "if it was honest it should improve the hospital facilities, not blame sick people."

Last month, an Amnesty International report alleged healthcare services for refugees on Manus had been reduced.

The report, which was disputed by the government, also highlighted inadequacies at the hospital.

It was published just days before the suicide of Rohingyan refugee Salim Kyawning, the 7th refugee to die on Manus.

The two previous deaths, those of Sri Lankan refugee Rajeev Rajendran and Iranian refugee Hamed Shamshiripour in 2017, were also thought to be suicides.

All three men suffered from mental illness after years of indefinite detention.

President of the Queensland Rohingya Community Noor Zaman said Mr Kyawning's death was not suicide, but murder by the Australian government and medical staff it employed.

"We have a lot of evidence of his appeals and our appeals for help for Salim, but they would not help him," Mr Zaman said.

As with all the deaths, refugees gathered for a vigil to mark the passing of Mr Kyawning.