CHENNAI: The ESI Hospital in Ayanavaram was directed to pay Rs 10 lakh to one of its security guards who allegedly lost his eyesight due to medical negligence as compensation.
KT Dhanasekaran worked as a private security guard at the ESI Hospital and is insured under the Employees' State Insurance Corporation upon payment of a premium deducted from his monthly salary.
He experienced the occultation of vision in his right eye due to a cataract and consulted the hospital, which performed cataract surgery in May 2024. Dhanasekaran was told to follow up two days after surgery, and on the sixth post-operative day, he complained of non-acuity of vision even after surgery. This also escalated with unbearable irritation and no improvement in his condition, worsening his vision.
The hospital then advised a cortex wash to remove fragments left behind in his right eye and discharged him after the procedure. This, however, did no favour and Dhanasekaran suffered from swelling, irritation, severe pain, continuous discharge from the right eye and reached the extent of loss of vision, according to the complainant.
He further underwent several post-operative examinations, and there was no improvement.
Dhanasekaran charged that the hospital's negligence led to the loss of vision and that the faulty surgery amounts to a deficiency of service and negligence. He incurred major losses to his livelihood as eyesight is vital to his job as a security guard, and he spent huge amounts on treatments at other hospitals.
He took his case to Chennai North District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which, headed by president D Gopinath, members Kavitha Kannan and V Ramamurthy, found medical negligence leading to a deficiency in service. ESI Hospital was directed to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages resulting to the complainant and is also directed to pay a sum of Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs within two months from October 22, 2025.