Complaint Against Doctors, Hospitals-Consumer Forum Grants Compensation in Medical Negligence cases

We have always maintained that medical negligence cases are worst forms of consumer issues with human lives directly at stake and happens to be probably one rare area where our mortification surpasses our stoic sarcasm.

In three separate cases of medical negligence of varying degree, consumer forum has come down heavily upon the guilty parties.

District Consumer Forum in Ferozepur, in a landmark verdict, held the then Medical Officer, SMO and Director, Punjab State Health System Corporation jointly and severally guilty in a negligence case whereby they not only denied proper treatment to an injured patient but also discharged him against his will stating that the injury was not serious because the hospital beds were needed for ‘another eye camp’. The patient eventually died and the District Forum passed its verdict based on expert opinion, awarding a compensation of Rs. 4 lakh with a 9% interest rate till the amount is actually recovered.

District Forum Awards A Compensation of 4lakhs against Punjab Government Health Officials (Punjab News Express)

In another case, District Forum in Trichy awarded a compensation of 2lakhs against a city hospital called G.V.N hospital to a man whose wife dies due to what forum considered negligence and deficiency in service. The woman in question dies due to heavy bleeding post delivery as the hospital was not equipped to deal with such cases.

Consumer Forum Fines Trichy Hospital For Negligence (Times of India)

In a third incident, a dentist in New Delhi was held liable for negligence and a compensation of 1 Lakh was awarded against him by the District Forum for triggering medical complications as he operated on the patient without taking blood sugar into account. Contributory negligence on part of the patient was not considered a defence by the forum.

Dentist To Pay 1L For Negligence (IBNLive)