A coronial inquest is currently underway regarding the death of 21-month-old Sandipan Dhar, who passed away from complications related to undiagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia at Ramsay Health Care’s Joondalup Health Campus in Western Australia on March 24, 2024. The inquest will examine whether earlier blood tests could have altered the course of his condition, particularly following a series of medical visits prior to his death.

Sandipan began experiencing mild fever symptoms several weeks before his hospitalization.

His family reported that they sought medical attention for him at Key Largo Medical Centre in Clarkson, where he initially presented with leg pain after jumping from a bed on February 15. Sandipan was given an X-ray which showed no serious issues, and he received immunizations during a follow-up visit on February 19.

The family returned to Key Largo Medical Centre after Sandipan suffered from persistent fever for a week.

During this visit, GP Dr. Chinniah Prabhakar noted redness in the child's throat but found no other significant symptoms, advising the family to seek further consultation if symptoms persisted.

On March 20, Sandipan was evaluated by Dr. Sanjeev Rana at the same medical center, where he showed signs of tonsillitis.

Dr. Rana prescribed antibiotics and recommended a follow-up in two days.

When Sandipan was reviewed again on March 22, his symptoms had not improved, prompting his parents to request blood tests.

However, Dr. Rana instead recommended a referral to the Joondalup Health Campus for further examination, indicating a preference for blood and urine tests to be conducted there.

At Joondalup Health Campus, Sandipan was triaged as 'urgent,' but the emergency department faced bed availability issues.

Dr. Caolan O’Hearrain, the medical officer on duty, noted a significantly elevated heart rate and a preliminary diagnosis of viral tonsillitis.

Plans were made to conduct urine tests and swab for viral infections.

However, there is conflicting testimony regarding whether Sandipan’s parents requested blood tests at this time, and no documentation from the medical staff confirms this request.

Sandipan's parents maintain that they expressed concerns about their son’s serious condition multiple times, while hospital staff deny recalling such requests.

Following an evening at the hospital, Sandipan was discharged but returned two days later in critical condition, where he ultimately succumbed to his illness.

Blood tests taken during resuscitation attempts revealed the presence of leukemia, which was confirmed by a post-mortem examination.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Will Stops, remarked that acute lymphoblastic leukemia accounts for 55% of blood cancer cases in children aged 14 and under, with the highest incidence observed in boys aged two to four, which applies to Sandipan's demographic.

An internal review at Joondalup Health Campus concluded that earlier identification of Sandipan's leukemia could have significantly changed treatment outcomes.

A previous Severity Assessment Code 1 inquiry found a missed opportunity for timely blood testing during his initial visits to the hospital.

A review commissioned by Ramsay Health Care ultimately cleared the medical staff of any wrongdoing.

The Key Largo Medical Centre had not conducted a meeting with Sandipan's parents since the incident.

Additionally, it has been reported that Labor’s Riverton MP, Jagadish Krishnan, holds a ten percent share in the medical center.

An investigation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency had previously found no wrongdoing on the part of the general practitioners involved in Sandipan’s care.

The inquest is expected to last for three days, aiming to uncover the events leading up to Sandipan's death and to provide clarity and answers for his grieving family.