The head of Perth Children’s Hospital has resigned amid an overhaul following the death of seven-year-old Aishwarya Aswath.
Western Australia’s health department on Thursday confirmed the departure of Child and Adolescent Health Service chief executive Aresh Anwar.
Dr Anwar, who had served in the role since 2018, will finish up on Friday.
He was at the helm when Aishwarya died of sepsis in April last year, after presenting to the hospital’s emergency department with a fever.
An internal review into her death found staff had missed opportunities to escalate her care despite her parents pleading for help.
The government has since replaced several of the health service’s board members and recently appointed a new executive director to address “cultural challenges” at the hospital.
Chair Rosanna Capolingua said in a statement that she was confident the health service had the “right team in place”.
“The community can be assured that staff at the Child and Adolescent Health Service will continue to give their utmost to providing quality care for Western Australia’s children and young people and support them to lead healthier lives,” she said.
Health director-general David Russell-Weisz said Dr Anwar had brought dedication and integrity to the role.
Executive director Valerie Jovanovic will serve as acting chief executive while the recruitment process takes place.
An inquest into Aishwarya’s death is set to begin on August 24.
Within 20 minutes of arriving at the hospital, the little girl’s hands were cold, her eyes were discolored and her respiratory rate and heart rate were significantly elevated.
But an internal review found the severity of her condition wasn’t recognized until an hour and 17 minutes later.
She was pronounced dead within two hours of entering a resuscitation bay, having succumbed to an infection related to group A streptococcus.
An independent report last year found staff at the hospital had been “exhausted and demoralized” in the lead-up to her death.
.