Apollo Hospital, surgeon, anaesthetist held liable for patient death post spinal surgery, slapped Rs 30 Lakh compensation
Chennai: The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has slapped a compensation of Rs 30 lakh on Apollo Speciality Hospital in Chennai and its two doctors, a consultant spine surgeon and anaesthetist, in a case of medical negligence wherein a patient did not regain consciousness after the surgery and was in a vegetative state.
The Commission was hearing a complaint regarding negligence on the part of the hospital and the two doctors in providing post-operative care to a patient after a spinal surgery in April 2015.
The NCDRC held medical negligence and stated;
“The negligence is therefore proved and consequently, there is a failure on the part of the anaesthetist in not having attended to the patient promptly, diligently and skilfully and allowed him to embrace a permanent vegetative state due to such negligence.”
The surgeon was also “vicariously liable” and as the staff did not carry out his advice, the hospital was also liable for the negligence, the NCDRC said.
As quoted by PTI, the commission ordered;
“It would be appropriate to award Rs 10 lakh as damages for deficiency in services on anaesthetist Dr Vasantha Roopan, Rs 5 lakh on Dr K S Hegde for his vicarious role and Rs 15 lakh on the hospital for having allowed this situation to precipitate causing irreparable loss to the patient and consequential loss and suffering to the members of his family.”
It also awarded Rs 50,000 as litigation costs to the complainants.
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