A patient underwent a minor surgical procedure under general anaesthesia. Shortly after surgery, he developed respiratory distress and was declared dead. The treating team attributed the death to a sudden heart attack.

The case turned on medical evidence.

A patient underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstones and was discharged within two days. Within a week, she developed severe abdominal pain, vomiting and progressive distention. She was readmitted but did not improve.

Subsequent imaging at another centre revealed massive intra-abdominal fluid collection. MRCP findings indicated bile leak near the ductal stump. On referral to a tertiary hospital, nearly four litres of bile were drained from the abdomen. Further evaluation confirmed injury to the common bile duct (CBD), necessitating staged corrective surgeries, including major reconstructive repair.

A patient underwent abdominal surgery for removal of ovarian masses. Following the procedure, she developed abdominal distension and pain. A CT scan suggested intestinal adhesions, leading to a second surgery. Despite continued symptoms and referral to another hospital, she alleged negligence and sought compensation.

A patient with long-standing chest pain underwent coronary angiography, which revealed triple vessel disease. He was advised Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery.

Following the angiography, he developed pain and swelling at the femoral access site, which later progressed into a hematoma. Alleging that the angiography had been performed negligently and that the resulting complication delayed his bypass surgery at another hospital, he sought compensation.

A 72-year-old patient with multiple pre-existing conditions was admitted for laser surgery to treat an enlarged prostate. Post-surgical biopsy revealed high-grade urothelial carcinoma.

Within days, he was advised and subjected to radical cystectomy for removal of the urinary bladder.

A patient who underwent a Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) later developed abdominal pain, distention and discomfort. She was subsequently referred to a higher centre, where exploratory laparotomy was performed and sub-acute intestinal obstruction was diagnosed. Alleging that her intestines had been stitched during the initial caesarean procedure, she filed a complaint claiming negligence.

Two retired government employees, both senior citizens and lifelong subscribers to the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), sought reimbursement of medical expenses incurred for serious cardiac and related ailments. Having paid the requisite subscription and foregone fixed medical allowance at retirement, they were entitled to OPD and IPD benefits under the scheme.

Their reimbursement claims for medicines and diagnostic tests were rejected on the ground that OPD medicines purchased from the open market were not reimbursable under various Office Memoranda and circulars governing CGHS procedures.