6-year-old loses eyesight after Ophthalmologist misdiagnoses brain tumour as squint, Consumer court enhances compensation
Ophthalmologist Misidiagnoses Brain Tumour as Squint
Thiruvananthapuram: The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) recently enhanced the amount of compensation payable to a girl who had lost her vision due to the misdiagnosis of her ailment by an ophthalmologist.
While the girl had a brain tumour, the ophthalmologist misdiagnosed the eye ailment as squint. Due to this, the girl lost vision in both her eyes, TNIE has reported.
Earlier, while considering the complaint, the District Consumer Commission at Kollam had directed the treating hospital and the ophthalmologist to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation and Rs 50,000 as costs to the girl.
Challenging the District Consumer Court's order, the doctor had filed an appeal before the State Consumer Court.
As per the latest media report by The New Indian Express, the history of the case goes back to 2003 when the patient was a first standard student and showed signs of squint on her left eye. She was taken to the Kollam-based treating hospital on March 20, 2003.
After conducting a fundoscopy and refraction test on the same day, and on March 24, the ophthalmologist advised her to use a rubber over the right eye for at least four hours a day. The doctor had told the patient to come for a review after six months.
During the review in September, the doctor informed the parents of the patient that the vision in her left eye was lost. Thereafter, the parents took the patient to Aravind Eye Hospital, Tirunelveli, where a CT scan of the brain revealed an enlarged tumour in her brain.
Consequently, she was referred to the Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) where she underwent a left pterional craniotomy and tumour decompression. Unfortunately, after the surgery, the patient lost her right eye vision as well.
While considering the doctor's appeal, the State Consumer Court bench comprising its president Justice B Sudheendra Kumar, judicial member Ajith Kumar D and member Radhakrishnan K R perused the expert opinion and noted that the girl had a late onset of squint.
It was noted by the Commission that the fundus examination revealed a mild temporal pallor and there was defective vision. The Commission observed that the ophthalmologist failed to follow the standard medical protocol to conduct a detailed squint work-up, diplopia charting, Hesse charting, BSV tests, indirect ophthalmoscopy, ultrasound orbit, and CT scan of the brain on March 20 and 24, 2003, when the girl visited the doctor.
Further, the Commission noted that the doctor was aware of the tumour when the patient was examined during the review on September 23, 2003 and still she was not referred to a neurologist and instead decided to continue her treatment.
