Parents Speak Out After Toddler Dies from Leukemia Following Alleged Medical Negligence
The parents of a toddler who tragically died after doctors allegedly ignored their pleas for blood tests have spoken out, seeking answers and accountability.
Twenty-one-month-old Sandipan Dhar, from Joondalup in northern Perth, succumbed to leukemia on March 24. His parents had repeatedly sought medical help for their son's persistent fever, only to be turned away each time.
Sandipan's father, Sanjoy Dhar, recounted their ordeal, explaining that their initial visit to the Key Largo Medical Centre GP practice resulted in their request for a blood test being refused, despite multiple visits. “The doctors said we didn’t need to do any further tests and should just take Sandipan home and monitor him for at least five days to see if his fever dropped,” Sanjoy told The West Australian.
Despite the doctors' assurances, Sandipan's condition worsened. The family returned to Joondalup Health Campus, only to receive the same advice. Sandipan's decline began after his 18-month vaccinations on February 19, which led to a fever.
Over the following days, Sandipan's parents made numerous visits and calls to the GP practice, only to be told that post-vaccination fevers were normal and to treat them with Panadol and Nurofen. However, when they returned two days later, Sandipan was struggling to breathe. An X-ray revealed he had pneumonia, and he was put on oxygen.
“I asked the doctors how quickly pneumonia can develop because we had brought Sandipan on Friday and they said he was perfectly fine,” Sanjoy said. “They didn’t give me an answer and said they needed to do further investigations.”
Mr. Dhar expressed frustration when doctors questioned why Sandipan hadn't been brought in earlier, despite the parents' prior visits. “The duty doctors and nurses were trying to put all the blame on us, saying that we came too late,” he said. “But when we said we had been to the hospital on Friday, they just kept their mouths shut.”
Tragically, Sandipan’s condition deteriorated rapidly while being treated at the hospital. His mother noticed blood trickling from his mouth as he was whisked away for emergency care. Two hours later, Sandipan passed away. A postmortem revealed that he had been suffering from leukemia, a diagnosis missed during his numerous medical visits.
Mr. Dhar said Sandipan’s death has devastated his family. “Seeing photographs sets off Sandipan’s four-year-old brother Mrinal who still refuses to believe he is not coming back,” Mr. Dhar shared. “We tried for days to explain it to Mrinal but it would make him so upset we eventually started lying and saying his brother has just gone away for a while.”
Key Largo Medical Centre declined to comment on the tragedy. Ramsay Health Care, which operates Joondalup Health Campus, stated that it was “unlikely Sandipan’s hospital care was a factor in his death.” A spokesperson mentioned that samples collected from Sandipan “showed features of an undiagnosed longer-term acute illness which may have contributed to his death.”
