Couple drags doctor to court for medical negligence

A south Mumbai couple has dragged a city gynaecologist to court for alleged negligence during the delivery of their child, which resulted in complications for the mother, 32-year-old Anuja Shah.

A south Mumbai couple has dragged a city gynaecologist to court for alleged negligence during the delivery of their child, which resulted in complications for the mother, 32-year-old Anuja Shah. The Shahs allege that during a Caesarean section delivery, Dr Niranjan Pai accidentally sutured the woman's uterus to the urethra, which led to a damage to the kidney and uncontrollable discharge of blood and urine.

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The complaint states that on March 22, 2011, Dr Pai helped Anuja Shah deliver a bay through a caesarean operation. After the surgery, Shah complained of severe abdominal pain, which the doctor dismissed as routine pain and administered a pain-killer.

However, as days passed, Shah's condition worsened. Due to a constant liquid discharge, she was forced to wear diapers. The complaint alleges that during a consultation on March 31, the doctor attributed the pain to indigestion and urine infection without conducting a proper examination. A day later, when Shah developed fever, the doctor suspected malaria, but reports proved otherwise. Later, a sonography revealed that the uterus had been sutured to the urethra, and urine was accumulating in a pouch near the abdomen. This led to an infection and swelling of the right kidney and led to an uncontrolled discharge of urine and blood.

The Shahs have filed a complaint against Dr Pai and the hospital with the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, seeking a compensation of Rs33.46 lakh. Dr Pai and the hospital have been asked to reply within four weeks. Dr Pai stated that he was yet to receive the notice and a copy of the complaint. “It was not a case of medical negligence. Such complications are common during C-section surgeries,” Pai said.