Med negligence: Boy gets ₹6 lakh relief after 8 yrs

Hyderabad: After eight years of litigation, a boy has been awarded 5 lakh as compensation by a consumer commission for medical negligence by a hospital in Nizamabad following a surgery for an accident when he was five years old.

In its order, apart from 5 lakh, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Nizamabad asked Pragathi Hospital to pay the patient, Vadla Laxmi Praneeth, an additional 50,000 for mental agony as well as reimburse 53,430 for medical expenses incurred during treatment at various hospitals along with 9% interest. The hospital was also directed to pay 5,000 as litigation costs.

In his complaint to the commission on March 25, 2015, Praneeth’s father V Bhaskar said that his son suffered multiple fractures after a road accident on May 15, 2013, and was admitted to Pragathi Hospital in Nizamabad. A surgery was done on his right leg by Dr T Narsing Rao, the consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital, he said.

Complainant accused hospital of negligence in providing treatment, which led to aggravation of boy’s injuries. After treatment at Pragathi Hospital, the patient was shifted to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad for better treatment.

A medical board observed that there was negligence on the part of the nursing staff at Pragathi Hospital in Nizamabad. Experts also documented presence of muscle necrosis in patient’s right leg. Based on this, the commission concluded the nursing staff’s negligence led to the boy’s situation. The commission found insufficient evidence to support the allegations of negligence against Dr Narsing Rao and dismissed complaint against him.

Commission, which issued the order on July 24, directed the hospital to comply with its directive in 45 days.