15-year-old schoolgirl died after 'doctor mistook tuberculosis for lovesickness' A 15-year-old schoolgirl died of tuberculosis after her bungling GP claimed she was 'lovesick', an inquest heard.
Alina Sarag was seen by more than five doctors at four different hospitals but medics failed to detect the curable disease.
Her distraught parents even called her GP more than 50 times about their daughter's ailing condition over a four-and-a-half month period before her death on January 6 last year.
An inquest heard that her GP, Dr Sharad Shripadrao Pandit, accused her parents of "mollycoddling" her.
Shockingly, he even claimed her symptoms were brought on because she was 'lovesick'.
Her distraught father, Sultan Sarag, 43, broke down as he told Birmingham Coroner's Court: "The doctor said to her 'Did you meet someone on holiday? Are you missing him?'
"She found it very distressing he was suggesting she was lovesick for a boy.
"He said all the problems were in her head and she should see a psychiatrist or spiritual healer.
"When he said that in front of her it totally broke her heart.
"He said she was only doing it to keep me at the house nursing her.
"He [Dr Pandit] said 'It is because of you that she is making it up'.
"He said when she was younger my attitude had a detrimental effect on her.
"I was running around looking after her, nursing her.
"He said 'She's only doing that to keep you in the house so you don't go from there'.
"That's what his explanation was."
Mr Sarag also claimed Dr Pandit refused to test his daughter for TB.
He told the inquest: "He said, 'We don't need these tests, we are not going to get them done either.'
"As you tried to progress he just totally changed the subject."
Mr Sarag - who is also being treated for TB - told the inquest his daughter vomited up to 10 times a day and had to be carried to bed "like an old woman with weak legs".
He added that he made more than 50 phone calls to the GP's surgery in Birmingham but Dr Pandit failed to return his calls.
Mr Sarag said: "There was mass neglect. The medical profession, as soon as they mess up they hide."
Alina first contracted TB in 2009 after a girl at her school was diagnosed with the illness.
She was prescribed a course of antibiotics at Birmingham Chest Clinic but medical staff never followed up her treatment.
Alina was struck down again in July 2010 after returning from a trip to Pakistan with her family.
The inquest heard a simple phlegm test would have shown Alina was suffering from TB but this was never carried out.
Instead, doctors shrugged off her family's concerns and told them Alina was suffering from a chest infection despite being classed as a "high risk" patient.
Alina's weight plummeted and at one point she was so ill she could only tolerate baby food.
After doctors at Heartland and City hospitals did not detect TB, Alina was admitted to Sandwell Hospital where she stayed for five days.
TB was picked up but no phlegm test was carried out and a chest X-ray was thought to have found a chest infection.
She later saw a clinical psychologist at Birmingham Children's Hospital but was in too much pain to complete the assessment.
On January 6, 2011 Alina was rushed to hospital after suffering breathing difficulties and she died of a cardiac arrest.
Following her death, Alina, who attended Golden Hillock School in Sparkhill, Birmingham, a clinical review revealed doctors missed repeated opportunities to diagnose her condition.
The family have enlisted Birmingham-based solicitors Irwin Mitchell.
The inquest, which is expected to take up to six days and call 20 witnesses, continues.
TIMETABLE OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
August 26, 2010: Alina referred to Heartland Hospital but given all-clear.
October 5, 2010: Alina referred to Birmingham Children's Hospital, but history of TB not picked up and hospital queried typhoid or an infection.
October 12, 2010: Alina transferred to Sandwell Hospital after going to City Hospital in Birmingham. She remains there for five days and TB is noted but sputum test not carried out.
October 30, 2010: Alina attended Birmingham Children's Hospital where doctors dismissed her condition was "psychological issue".
December 14, 2010: Saw clinical psychologist but was in such extreme pain that the psychologist could not complete the assessment.
January 6, 2011: Mr Sarag dials 999 after Alina has breathing difficulties but she dies of cardiac arrest.