Grieving parents call for ‘new captain’

The parents of a little girl who died of sepsis while waiting for treatment in a Perth Hospital have asked for more detail from the coroner and called for a change in leadership in the WA Health Department.

Aishwarya Aswath died at Perth Children’s Hospital on Easter Saturday in April 2021 from multi-organ failure after a Group A Streptococcal infection turned into sepsis.

She had been waiting at hospital for 90 minutes before nurses took her to see a doctor after she became too weak to take ibuprofen.

A coronial report into her death found there was a “small possibility” her death could have been prevented if she had received medical treatment after arriving at PCH.

The report also contained five recommendations including ensuring a minimum nurse to patient ratio in the emergency department, creating a dedicated resuscitation team in the hospital and introducing safe harbour provisions to protect whistleblower nurses from APHRA investigation and prosecution when an adverse event occurs.

Aishwarya’s parents Aswath Chavittupara and Prasitha Sasidharan said more clarification was needed on the findings of the report.

“We will not be disputing any of the coroner’s finding and we don’t want to challenge them but at the same time we need some clarification on certain sections of the report,” Mr Chavittupara said.

“We will be writing to the coroner and will ask for an explanation.”

Other recommendations included changes to how state hospitals keep records and implementing new triage policies, especially for children who present with gastrointestinal symptoms.

The pair also called for WA Health Director-General David Russell-Weisz to be replaced

“Sometimes when we look at changing the game, we try to find a new captain,” Mr Chavittupara said.

“And maybe I think it’s time for people who’ve got the power, they need to look into that direction.”

Though Aishwarya’s parents said they did not challenge the report’s findings, they described them as “basic”.

“The issue about staffing is not new,” he said.

“The staffing ratio that we’re talking about now has been highlighted in the last two years, that should have been taken care of by the government by now.”

Mr Chavittupara also argued that the specific likelihood his daughter could’ve been saved was not relevant in the report, after it said there was a “small” chance she could still be alive.

“As a father I know my daughter better than all of these people put together and there was a chance that they could have saved Aishwarya and they should have saved Aishwarya,” he said.

“They shouldn‘t have mentioned a small chance or a big chance. A chance is a chance.