Royapettah government hospital to pay compensation of Rs 10.10 lakh
Royapettah government hospital to pay compensation to a class 10 student who lost his left hand due to the negligence of doctors at the hospital eight years ago
Chennai: The state consumer disputes redressal commission directed the superintendent of the Royapettah government hospital to pay compensation of Rs 10.10 lakh to a class 10 tudent who lost his left hand due to the negligence of doctors at the hospital eight years ago. The left hand of R. Vishnu was amputated within a few days of admission for a hole injury on the wrist.
The commission said, “We hold that doctors of the orthopaedic department were negligent in providing proper treatment to the boy. Hence, the superintendent is vicariously liable for the negligence and deficiency of service on the part of the doctors.”In the petition, R. Lakshmi, Manadiamman Koil Street, Adambakkam, submitted that on January 16, 2006, her 8-year-old son (now 16 years old), had, while playing, fallen and injured his left wrist. After first aid at a private hospital, he was rushed to Royapettah government hospital.
Duty doctors in the ortho department, applied plaster of Paris cast and asked her and her husband V. Ravi to return with Vishnu two days later. On January 18, the doctors removed the mavukkattu (cast) with great difficulty and gave him medicine. When the boy did not get relief from severe pain and after several bouts of treatment, she took him to the Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital, where doctors informed her that the boy’s left hand had decomposed. She was also told that if it was not amputated, his life would be in danger.
Reluctantly, she gave the nod for amputation. Lakshmi contended that her son had lost his limb due to the negligence of the doctors. Hence, she demanded a compensation of Rs50 lakh from the superintendent of Royapettah government hospital for physical suffering and loss of earning power of her son and for mental agony.The superintendent of Royapettah GH replied that the boy had a fracture for which a plaster of Paris cast was applied and a hole injury was the reason for decomposition. He was not given wrongly treatment.
The bench, comprising president R. Regupathi, judicial member J. Jayaram and member P. Bakiavathi, said, “Negligence on the part of the doctors is quite apparent on consideration of the facts and on perusal of records. Had the doctors been diligent and acted with reasonable skill and care and treated the hole injury and fracture, the onset of gangrene and consequent amputation of the left hand could have been averted.”
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