Arabic version: الأب يطالب بالمساءلة بعد وفاة طفل يمكن تجنبها
The father of Sandipan Dhar, a toddler who died after not receiving a blood test at a Perth hospital, is calling for accountability from the clinicians involved in his son’s care. According to ABC News, Sanjoy Dhar has urged for penalties to be imposed following a coronial inquest that affirmed the family’s claims of negligence.
Sandipan, who was just 21 months old at the time of his death on March 24, 2024, had been taken to Joondalup Health Campus twice within three days due to persistent fevers. Despite the parents’ requests for a blood test, their concerns were reportedly ignored. An autopsy later revealed that the child had undiagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, leading the acting State Coroner Sarah Linton to conclude that there was a “missed opportunity” to complete a blood test and that his death was “probably preventable.”
Sanjoy Dhar expressed his frustration over the lack of accountability, stating, “We will never get back Sandipan. That incident totally destroyed our life. Definitely, an example should [be] set.” He emphasized that while he does not harbor personal grievances against the clinicians, he believes they should face consequences for their actions.
In response to the coroner’s findings, James Cafaro, the state manager of Ramsay Health Care, noted that all clinicians involved have been referred to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for review. However, he stated that no restrictions or conditions were placed on their registrations, and the Coroner did not recommend any action against them.
Family advocate Suresh Rajan has called for the implementation of the coroner’s recommendations across Western Australia’s health system to prevent similar incidents in the future. He highlighted the need for systemic changes, including the establishment of a patient advocate role to ensure that patient concerns are adequately addressed. Rajan also questioned the ongoing operation of Ramsay Health Care at the Joondalup Health Campus, suggesting that transparency regarding their contracts with the WA government is necessary to ensure accountability in healthcare.
