Moolchand Hospital fined for botching up surgery

The Delhi State Consumer Redressal Commission has ordered Moolchand Hospital to pay a compensation of Rs.10 lakh to a woman for botching up a surgery intended to cure spinal tuberculosis 13 years ago. The incident left her permanently crippled, reports Harish V Nair.

The Delhi State Consumer Redressal Commission has ordered Moolchand Hospital to pay a compensation of Rs.10 lakh to a woman for botching up a surgery intended to cure spinal tuberculosis 13 years ago. The incident left her permanently crippled.

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“The complainant has amply established the case of deficiency in service and medical negligence on the part of Moolchand Hospital which made her handicapped for life,” said a bench of justice Barkat Ali Zaidi (president of the commission) and member V K Gupta.

“We can visualise the anxiety of the complainant and her husband thinking about their future and of their child on account of the physical handicap she suffered. We quantify the amount of compensation of Rs.10 lakh, inclusive of medical expenses, for the mental agony, harassment and sheer suffering she faced including the litigation cost," said the bench.

The woman had delivered a baby at Guru Tegh Bahadur hospital. However, soon she was admitted to Moolchand Hospital on December 27, 1999 as she was having difficulty in walking and had severe back pain.

She was diagnosed with spine tuberculosis and was taken into surgery. But, the surgery was not successful and as a result both her lower limbs got paralysed.

Moolchand hospital denied medical negligence on its part but the consumer court was not convinced.