Devastated Perth parents slam findings over their toddler son’s death

The family of West Australian toddler Sandipan Dhar, who died after doctors failed to diagnose him with leukemia, have rejected the review into his death which found their son received “appropriate and well-managed” care.

Sandipan was just shy of his second birthday when his parents, Saraswati and Sanjoy Dhar, rushed him to Joondalup Health Campus with a high fever that would not settle.

Sandipan Dhar died aged 21 months.

They had initially taken him to get his routine 18-month injections at a local medical centre, after which the fever had started.

They took him back to that clinic three times requesting tests to find the cause of the fever, but claim their requests were repeatedly refused.

On their first trip to the hospital, they were also allegedly told nothing serious was wrong and were sent home. When the fever worsened, they rushed him back to hospital.

Doctors ordered a chest X-ray. The parents said they were then told he had pneumonia, with one lung in particular severely impacted. By that stage, it was too late to save his life. It was later revealed he had leukemia.

The review into Sandipan’s death found that “with the power of hindsight, there was a missed opportunity to complete blood tests on the child’s first presentation to Joondalup Health Campus.”

“These tests would have likely identified acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and given the opportunity for transfer for tertiary specialist care for further investigation, supportive management, and definitive treatment for his leukemia,” it states.

But despite these findings, the review concludes that the care given to the young boy before he died was “appropriate” and “well-managed.”

Family advocate Suresh Rajan told Radio 6PR on Thursday the review offered no explanation as to why the parents’ requests for blood tests were overlooked, despite the family GP requesting them.

Rajan said in the case of seven-year-old Aishwarya Aswath, who died of sepsis in a Perth emergency department in 2021 after her parents’ requests for escalated care were disregarded, the premier, the director general of health and the family rejected the report from the hospital that stated appropriate action was taken.

“The problem that we face in this one is that a private operator of a public hospital, Ramsay Health Care, has given this report to the director general and the [premier] two weeks ago, two weeks before we got it,” he said.

“We understand from Joondalup that they have accepted the report.”

Joondalup Health Campus chief-executive Renaud Mazy said he continued to offer his “deepest condolences” to the family.

He said a panel of nine had concluded “there was nothing to specifically suggest Sandipan had an underlying leukemia … therefore, the decision not to complete blood tests was appropriate.”

Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said she was meeting with Sanjoy and Saraswati soon.

“I have no doubt the loss of Sandipan is utterly devastating for the Dhar family,” she said,

“They continue to be strong advocates for their child.”

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