Nerve injury due to negligence in spinal anaesthesia: Consumer court slaps Rs 3.2 lakh compensation on hospital, doctors
Medical Negligence
Hyderabad: The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC), Telangana, recently held Mehdipatnam-based Sri Vijaya Hospitals, and its two doctors guilty of medical negligence in the treatment of a young mother who developed permanent disability following her caesarean section surgery.
As per the New Indian Express report, the court concluded that the patient suffered a nerve injury that was caused by the wrong administration of spinal anaesthesia.
It was alleged in the complaint that after the C-section surgery, the patient lost sensation in her left leg, developed foot drop, and faced mobility issues soon after the surgery.
Although the patient went through multiple consultations and received further treatment at other hospitals, her condition persisted, The New Indian Express has reported.
Filing the consumer complaint, the patient and her husband alleged that during her fourth delivery in September 2014, she had to suffer severe complications due to negligence in administering spinal anaesthesia.
The complainants sought reimbursement of Rs 1 lakh spent on medical treatment and compensation of Rs 40 lakh for physical disability, pain, and mental agony. They also accused the gynaecologist and anaesthetist concerned of carelessness and failure to monitor the procedure.
On the other hand, the treating hospital and doctors denied the allegations of negligence and submitted that the patient had a history of complications from previous caesareans and was discharged in a stable condition. They also argued that her condition was unrelated to the anaesthesia.
After reviewing the medical reports and evidence, the State Commission observed that the patient had developed foot drop immediately after the spinal injection. It also noted that the treating hospital and doctors failed to provide a proper medical explanation and concluded that the nerve injury was caused by the wrong administration of spinal anaesthesia.
The Commission described the lapse as a serious deficiency of service and partly allowed the complaint. It issued directions to the treating hospital and the two doctors to jointly pay Rs 3.2 lakh. The amount of compensation granted to the patient included Rs 1 lakh towards treatment expenses, Rs 2 lakh as compensation and Rs 20,000 as litigation costs.
Further, the Commission ordered that if the payment was not made within six weeks, the amount would attract 7% annual interest until realisation.
Also Read: Consumer Court slaps Rs 35 lakh compensation for medical negligence in C-sections
