Newborn's Thumb Severed after delivery: Madras HC orders Rs 7.5 lakh compensation

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court recently directed the State Government to pay compensation to a family after a staff nurse of Government Raja Mirasdar Medical College Hospital in Thanjavur accidentally severed the thumb of a newborn baby after delivery.

Previously, the Court had ordered the State to pay Rs 75,000 as interim compensation. In the final order, the HC bench fixed Rs 7,50,000 as the final compensation and asked the State to pay the balance Rs 6,75,000 to the family.

The High Court bench announced the order while considering the plea filed by the baby's father. The history of the case dates back to 2021, when the petitioner's wife gave birth to a girl child on May 25, 2021. Both the child and the mother were treated as in-patient in the Thanjavur-based government hospital.

It was contended by the petitioner that the staff nurse, who was on duty at the time, carelessly took a pair of scissors and hurriedly attempted to remove the venflon from the child's left hand, but, the left thumb of the 14-day-old baby was severed due to negligence. Therefore, the petitioner filed the plea before the High Court seeking compensation.