Penalising the Srivijaya Hospital in Mehdipatnam here for negligence in administering anaesthesia to a pregnant woman, which led to complications during her delivery, the Telangana State Consumer Commission has ordered adequate compensation.
The hospital has been asked to pay Rs 3.20 lakh to the petitioner, Naseemunnisa of Hyderabad, including Rs 2 lakh in compensation, Rs 1 lakh towards medical expenses, and Rs 20,000 towards other incidental costs.
In 2014, Naseemunnisa was admitted to Srivijaya Hospital for her delivery. A caesarean section (C-Section) was performed under the supervision of Dr Y Vijayalakshmi Rao, while Dr Nagabhushan Rao administered anaesthesia. Immediately after receiving the injection, she experienced severe pain in her left leg, describing it as if she had been "stabbed and shocked".
Following the procedure, she lost sensation in her left leg and has since faced serious mobility issues due to numbness. In 2016, she and her husband filed a complaint with the consumer commission, alleging medical negligence and seeking Rs 40 lakh in compensation along with medical expenses.
While hearing the matter, a bench comprising the commission in charge, Meena Ramanathan, and member VV Seshu Babu recently heard the case and observed that the doctors failed to diagnose the cause of the complication and concluded that her nervous system was damaged due to improper administration of spinal anaesthesia.
While the compensation sought by the petitioner was higher, the commission fixed the relief at Rs 3.2 lakh in total, holding the hospital accountable for negligence.