Aishwarya Aswath's parents say Perth Children's Hospital staff ignored their pleas for help as daughter was dying

The mother of a seven-year-old girl who died at Perth Children's Hospital says she pleaded with staff to help her daughter but was not taken seriously.

Aishwarya Aswath died in April last year after attending the Perth Children's Hospital (PCH) with a high temperature and cold hands.

The Perth Coroner's Court on Wednesday heard a statement from Aishwarya's mother Prasitha Sasidharan, who described how she grew increasingly worried about her daughter while in the hospital waiting room. She approached staff five times while they were in the waiting room for almost two hours. "I feel like I was ignored and not taken seriously," she said. The court heard from both parents on Wednesday, the start of an eight-day inquest. After Aishwarya died her father wanted to hold her but was only allowed to do so for a brief time. In his statement, read to the court, he said there were "many missed opportunities to save her."

Former PCH chief executive Aresh Anwar said the hospital was grappling with a rise in mental health presentations and a shortage of staff when Aishwarya died.

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Source: ABC News (24 August 2022)