Ludhiana hospital’s laxity costs boy forearm, fined Rs 50 lakh

Our Correspondent
Ludhiana, November 6

The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Dhawan Surgicare and Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sunder Nagar, Ludhiana, and Dr Monika Dhawan and Dr Gagandeep Singh to pay Rs 50 lakh as compensation in a medical negligence case. The left forearm of a boy was amputated due to medical negligence.

Justice Paramjit Singh Dhaliwal, president, Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, held, “It has been proved that there was medical negligence and deficiency in service on the part of the hospital and doctors, resulting in mental agony, harassment, avoidable pain and sufferings to the complainant due to the amputation of his left arm.”

The commission ordered to make the payment along with 7 per cent per annum interest from the date of filing of the complaint till realisation along with litigation expenses of Rs 33,000.

The complainant being a minor had moved the complaint through his mother Dimple Sharma of Bajra Colony, Ludhiana. It was pleaded in the complaint that on April 18, 2013, her son Amrit Raj fell down from the roof of the house. He was rushed to the hospital. The left arm was badly wounded and fractured. The doctors without considering the gravity and nature of the injury, negligently cast the plaster on the fractured arm.

As a result, the patient felt continuous pain in the left arm due to the injury and tight plaster. The patient was discharged on April 19, despite the fact that there was pain in his arm. On April 20, the patient, along with his mother, visited the hospital and complained of severe pain, blisters and discolouration of skin. Dr Monika told them to wait till evening and assured that everything would be fine, but there was no improvement.

Later, the patient was discharged. After that he got admitted to the CMC Hospital, where his forearm had to be amputated as gangrene was spreading.

In their defence, the hospital authorities claimed the medical board constituted by the Civil Surgeon and subsequent medical board constituted on the orders of this commission held that there was no medical negligence on part of the hospital.