WBCERC directs 3 hospitals to pay compensation for gross negligence, wrong treatment

A sum of rupees 91,000 has been levied on AMRI Hospital, while Durgapur Health World Hospital has been directed to pay rupees 50,000 and rupees 10,000 in two separate cases, further, CMRI Hospital has been asked to deliver rupees 25,000 as compensation.

The Millennium Post reports that, in the case of AMRI Hospital, a 68-year-old patient took admission to the hospital on August 18th after facing abdominal pain. She was detected with cancer and was later operated on. On her release, she complained about leakage in her abdomen. She was rushed to the hospital again. The doctor suggested her to undergo another operation. However, the patient eventually passed away. The hospital delivered a bill of rupees 2.5 lakhs for the first operation and 3.5 lakh for the next operation. Finding the facility negligent in treating the patient, the kin of the patient turned towards the commission for redressal.

During the hearing, the commission instructed the AMRI Hospital Salt Lake to deliver compensation of rupees 91,000 to the relatives of the patient.

The Commission stated, "We felt the hospital had a moral responsibility in this case as the woman had to undergo corrective surgery and that cost more. So, we asked the hospital to return Rs 91,000."

In the next case of Durgapur Health World Hospital, the kin of the patient alleged that the patient was given cardiological treatment while he was admitted for abdominal pain. The Telegraph reports that after the patient was discharged from the hospital, he was again detected with the gallbladder problem when he visited another facility in Hyderabad.

The commission observed, " He was asked to do an angiogram and ECG. The hospital did a USG of the abdomen later."

The hospital stated that they had gone by the report of a USG which the patient previously did from another facility. However, the commission stated the hospital should have done a USG on its own.

Finding the hospital guilty of medical negligence, the commission has instructed the facility to deliver a compensation of rupees 50,000 to the family of the patient. In another similar case, the commission has instructed the same hospital to deliver compensation of rupees 10,000 to the patient as the hospital mistakenly send the documents and confidential information of one patient to another patient, reports the daily.

In the last case, the commission slapped a fine on CMRI hospital of rupees 25,000 as the hospital inflicted an electric burn on a 23-year-old patient by mistake during surgery. The commission found out the electric burn was inflicted from an apparatus during surgery and she sustained an injury on the bone on her right side.

The court observed, "She suffered an acetabular fracture. But the burns were detected on the side that did not need surgery. "Finding it not acceptable and showing a lack of efficiency on part of the facility, the commission asked the hospital to give Rs 25,000 to the woman as compensation, reports The Telegraph.