INDIA: Nursing home to pay Rs 7 lakh to patient for wrong treatment

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NEW DELHI (The Times of India), October 7, 2008:

A woman whose kidneys were damaged due to wrong treatment at a nursing home has been awarded a compensation of Rs 700,000 by a consumer court which held her doctor guilty of deficiency in service while performing a kidney stone removal operation.

"Keeping in view the life-long suffering of Ramkali who has now become dialysis-dependent and the recurring expenditure to be incurred by her, we award a compensation of Rs 700,000," Forum (west) President J P Sharma said.

Ramkali approached the Forum seeking Rs 10 lakh as compensation from west Delhi-based Handa Nursing Home, alleging wrong treatment resulting into deterioration of her health.

While Ramkali held Urologist A K Handa responsible for the alleged wrong meted out to her, the nursing home dismissed it saying she was being treated as per standard practice.

The Forum, on its part, sought expert opinion from AIIMS on the complications developed by Ramkali and the line of treatment adopted by Dr Handa.

"We have no hesitation to hold that Dr Handa resorted to Ureteroscopy in haste and did not bother to find out the cause of pain with the patient whose condition went on deteriorating with the line of treatment given to her," the Forum, also comprising members Krishna K Gupta and S M Mazumdar, said.

The Forum also observed that instead of finding out the real cause of pain, the surgeon resorted to administering antibiotics and pain killers which are known toxic elements for the functioning of kidneys.

"The evidence as such clearly makes out a case of medical negligence and deficiency in service on the part of Handa Nursing Home," it said.

Copyright © 2008 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.