Glucose doses kill diabetic, doctor told to pay

AHMEDABAD: A consumer court has ordered a city-based doctor to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to a family after his prescribing glucose caused death of a diabetic woman in 2009.

The case involves Dr Hasmukh Patel of Namrata Heart and Medicare in Asarwa locality. The diabetic patient who died was Kokilaben Parmar from Kalol town. The doctor diagnosed her with jaundice and prescribed glucose, but he overlooked that she was a diabetic. The woman, a mother of five, died within two days. Her husband Bharatbhai Parmar sued the doctor in 2015 for Rs 5 lakh.

While asking the doctor to compensate for death due to “medical negligence” on his part, the Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Ahmedabad City said, “The opponent (doctor) was under a legal duty to exercise due care towards the complainant’s wife and by not doing things which were required, he has committed a breach of duty which he has towards the patient.”

The court said further, “As a result of his medical negligence, he is liable to pay for the consequential damages which the complainant and his children suffered on account of untimely and unfortunate death of his wife. Had he been vigilant and investigated further the urine report before prescribing glucose, probably the patient had chances of getting better prognosis for her treatment.”

Kokilaben consulted Dr Patel on January 13, 2009 after she suffered abdominal pain. The doctor advised haemogram, urine test, SGPT and ultra-sonography. After reports, he began treating her for jaundice and asked her to take glucose. Her condition deteriorated. On January 15, the family took her to one Dr H U Mansuri in Patan. Investigations were conducted once again, but the woman passed away on the same afternoon.

The court said, “In our opinion, the proximate cause of death is therefore due to the written advice of the opponent to take glucose despite having presence of glucose in urine without first ascertaining the bloodglucose position.”