By Emma Young
The parents of Sandipan Dhar have described a little boy so full of life that he was walking well before his first birthday, and the swift, ghastly end of that life in a Joondalup hospital when he was just 21 months old.
His parents claim both the hospital and GPs refused to run blood tests to diagnose the cause of a fever, and say their family has been destroyed.
Saraswati and Sanjoy Dhar. Credit: 9 News Perth
Saraswati Dhar told gathered media on Friday that when she talked about her son, she broke down inside.
“He was my own … I carried him nine months … I came here from India alone without our family ... when he was born, I took care of him alone,” she said.
“Not a single day or hour I left him with any other person. I sacrifice my career for my two sons. No one survived like us.”
This was all Saraswati was able to say. For the rest of the conference she sat silent beside her husband Sanjoy, who told their story.
He said in February, Sandipan had been playing at being a monkey, and had jumped from a table to a bed, and hurt his right leg in the process.
His parents took him to the doctor and opted for an X-Ray, which showed nothing was broken, and they followed advice to give Sandipan Panadol and Nurofen. Told he was fine to have his 18-month vaccinations, they went ahead with this process.
Following the vaccination, Sandipan’s parents noticed a red bump on the leg that had the needle.
“Over the phone, they said it’s all good. We just continue with the Panadol.”
But a continuing fever saw them consult a GP.
Sandipan Dhar died aged 21 months.
“He literally spent less than five minutes and he said that he checked his temperature and he said that he is all right, we should not be worried … we came back home again,” Dhar said.
“The temperature was still there … but he was literally in good health and he was full of energy.”
His father said this was normal for Sandipan, a precocious boy who had walked and run well before his first birthday.
His temperature continued and they saw another GP, requesting a blood test.
They said the doctor decided Sandipan was OK and did not need a blood test.
They went back three or four days later and asked for a blood test, and said they were told that it was not necessary, but prescribed an antibiotic.
During the course of antibiotics, they went back to the same clinic, on March 22, by which time their son seemed unwell and pale.
They said the GP reassured them that the antibiotic needed time to work. Again they said they requested a blood test or any other kind of test that was possible, and that the doctor had said it was not required.
They asked for a referral to a hospital or other clinic but did not receive one, and they went straight to the emergency room at Joondalup Health Campus.
Saraswati and Sanjoy Dhar. Credit: 9 News Perth
Over the course of about six hours, from around midday to around 6pm, they said, nurses told them they could leave because their child would be fine. A junior doctor also came and checked Sandipan.
Dhar said he came from a medical family, with his mother, brother and sisters all doctors.
“We do have some sort of background … we felt to some extent that we were not treated properly … [in accordance with] our expectation of the government of Australia and the medical system.
“Those who have treated my son so badly … they have destroyed my family.
“We lost our son … we will never get him back – but we do not want these same mistakes to be repeated for someone else.”
Finally, the staff asked Sandipan’s parents to gather a urine sample, and they struggled to get one as their little boy did not have any urine to pass. They claimed they asked for a drink for Sandipan, but it did not arrive; and finally, it was said that the sample was not necessary.
They eventually agreed to go home and continue the antibiotics and were told they should return on March 27 if their son had not recovered.
“So we came back home on Friday with the hope … we had seen a GP, we had seen a junior doctor, we had seen several so-called professional nurses, and we had seen a senior doctor who identified himself as a child specialist,” Dhar said.
“We’ve been full of our mental peace that we had gone through with the proper investigation.
“On the way, he asked us to play his favourite song … that was the last good memory we had. He enjoyed his last journey with us.”
“On Saturday … he was not very well, but he’d been continuing his eating, playing, all those things … on Sunday morning he started refusing to eat and refusing to play. He started deteriorating.
“On Sunday evening we went to the hospital.”
Dhar struggled to stay composed as he went on.
“Before we went … our son … brought his favourite T-shirt to wear,” he said.
“On the way, he asked us to play his favourite song … that was the last good memory we had. He enjoyed his last journey with us.
“I did make a white lie to the reception. I told them that my son is having a bleeding issue, hoping that they will take us seriously. And rather than keeping working over there, they will take us immediately. Yes, they did … after reaching inside the doctor went through with his chest X-ray and told us his lung … was highly affected.”
Sandipan began to have trouble breathing.
He was given an oxygen mask and his mother, trying to convince the tiny child to keep it on, saw that he was bleeding from the nose or mouth.
Shortly afterward, doctors carried the little boy’s motionless body away.
His father believed that was when he died, but this still has not been confirmed for them.
“I still don’t know what time my son passed away,” he said.
“We know that we have given the honest statement … I am 100 per cent confident [in my account.”
Dhar reiterated that he had asked a minimum of three times at the hospital for Sandipan’s treatment to be escalated.
“The doctor had had to come three times to convince my wife that everything was fine … with a big smile on his face he said your son is completely fine,” Dhar said.
“I’ve been considering until today that I’m a proud Australian ... I have been here 24 years, but this is the first time it’s come to my mind that I am unfortunate.
“We were considering ourselves within a first-world nation.
“My son didn’t get his proper treatment, when he deserved that.
“What could we have done? Could someone please tell us?
“Every night, my other son, four years old, goes to the bed looking for his brother.
“He asks us to bring his brother back, every time I go out; he stands in front of the door … If you can reply me that question I can satisfy my son.”
Ramsay Health Care state manager Dr Shane Kelly spoke earlier on Friday.
He extended his sympathies to the family, saying no family should have to go through the death of a child.
An investigation into the child’s treatment continues. Kelly said a panel had reviewed the care and treatment given on the first presentation, with two independent specialists involved. They concluded the care was appropriate, and that there wasn’t an indication at the time that a blood test was needed.
He is expected to visit the family on Monday.
During a press conference on Friday, Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson extended her condolences to the family.
She said it was a major concern to hear that Sandipan’s parents felt they were not listened to.
She said it must be remembered that parents knew their children best, but that it would be best to wait for the results of the investigation before commenting.
She said Sandipan was suffering a very serious illness he would have had for a period of time.
It has been reported that a post-mortem found he had died of leukaemia.
Sanderson said hospital management would meet the Dhar family on Monday to discuss the findings of the investigation.
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