A young boy just shy of his second birthday died from pneumonia at Joondalup Health Campus, after his parents claimed the hospital refused to run blood tests to diagnose a fever, despite multiple pleas from his parents.
Advocate Suresh Rajan spoke with Gary Adshead on Radio 6PR on Friday morning and said Sandipan Dhar’s family had insisted that their cries for help went unheeded.
Sandipan Dhar died aged 21 months.
The fever started after Sandipan’s parents took him to get his 18-month immunisations at a clinic in Clarkson.
“[He was] very energetic, very bright and incredibly above all of the markers that are set for people at that age, so when … they saw him listless, immediately it creates a concern,” he said.
Panadol was initially prescribed, and while there were discussions on whether blood tests should be taken, the parents said they were never done even after the parents went back to the clinic several times to request them.
Ethnic Communities Council WA president and advocate Suresh Rajan.Credit: Marta Pascual Juanola
His parents then decided to take him to the hospital. They were sent home, they said, assured their boy was fine.
As Sandipan’s condition worsened, they returned to the hospital. He could not be treated by that stage and tragically died.
Rajan said the case had similarities with that of Aishwarya Aswath, who died in hospital after her families calls also went unanswered.
“It is very much the case that it appears again that the family’s concerns have been dismissed,” Rajan said.