Father's grief as five-year-old daughter dies in his arms after doctors sent her away saying she had a common virus

Marshal Aashtar took daughter Fizzah Malik to the GP with a rash and pain

Doctor said she just had a virus and needed ibuprofen and Calpol

But she died a few days later while lying in her father's arms



A father has spoken of his anguish at seeing his five-year-old daughter die in his arms after doctors failed to diagnose a serious illness.



Marshal Aashtar took his daughter Fizzah Malik to the GP when she developed a high temperature and a sharp pain, but was told that all she needed was Calpol and ibuprofen.



When she failed to recover he took her to a hospital, and was once again told that she should recover by herself - but less than two days later, the girl suddenly died.



It is believed that Fizzah died of a streptococcal infection, possibly linked to meningitis.



Tragic: Marshal Aashtar, left, has spoken of his grief at the death of daughter Fizzah, right

Mr Aashtar now says that doctors 'let us down' by failing to spot that his daughter's condition was much more serious than initially believed.



The 43-year-old father from Redbridge, Essex took Fizzah to the Ilford Medical Centre when she was suffering from a rash and a pain in the side.

A doctor apparently told him she had a viral infection, saying that ordinary painkillers would be enough to help her recover.



Mr Aashtar and his wife Rubina became concerned when her condition did not improve, and took her to an emergency drop-in centre at King George Hospital in Ilford.



Another doctor diagnosed Fizzah with a virus, and said that she would recover within three days.



Sent away: Doctors at King George Hospital in Ilford, Essex said the five-year-old would recover in three days

But the next day she began throwing up, and the morning after she was lying in her father's arms when her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head.



'I lost her in my arms,' Mr Aashtar told the Ilford Recorder. 'I was doing mouth-to-mouth as I was talked through it on the phone. But I knew she was gone.'



The driving instructor, who also has two teenage sons, is now considering legal action over the medical treatment given to his daughter.



'I can't believe they just sent us home from hospital,' he told the Evening Standard. 'They said everything would be fine and we believed them. They let us down.'



The GPs' partnership which runs the hospital centre where Fizzah was treated says it is currently examining the circumstances of her death.



Ilford Medical Centre has declined to comment on the case.

