Bathinda hospital told to pay ₹10 lakh for woman’s death due to ‘medical negligence’

PANEL RULES THAT MAX HOSPITAL GAVE NO SPECIFIC TREATMENT FOR KIDNEY AND LUNG COMPLICATIONS; HAD NO SPECIALIST FOR IT

MOHALI : A private hospital in Bathinda has been directed to pay ₹10 lakh compensation to a Muktsar-based family for medical negligence or deficiency in service over the death of a 69-year-old woman suffering from kidney and respiratory ailment.

The complainant, Roshan Lal Jagga and his children had moved the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission alleging medical negligence following the death of his wife Raj Kumari who was admitted to the The Max Super Specialty Hospital, Bathinda, on December 31, 2014.

The family had spent ₹2.57 lakh on her treatment.

The hospital was not having any kidney or lungs specialist and she died on February 7, 2015, the family had alleged.

The cause of death was respiratory distress, multiple organ dysfunction, kidney injury besides lower respiratory tract infection, the commission was told.

The management of the 200bed hospital in its defence claimed to have made “every/ best effort” to save the patient, who was brought there in a very critical condition. Besides, the attendants got the patient, who was admitted to emergency and was examined by the critical care team, discharged against medical advice, the management claimed.

The commission held that “apart from heart problem the patient also had kidney and lungs complication but no specific treatment was given for this. Also, the hospital did not have any specialist in, it observed.