The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Amritsar recently directed a private hospital and a doctor to compensate a man with Rs 45 lakh for medical negligence in treating his newborn son, who lost his right hand due to gangrene. Additionally, the hospital and doctor were ordered to pay Rs 1 lakh to cover legal expenses. The case stemmed from the treatment provided to the complainant's premature baby, who was admitted to the hospital with low oxygen levels shortly after birth.
The baby, born in August 2020, was initially treated at the private hospital in Amritsar. According to the complainant, doctors applied a faulty drip on the child's right hand, leading to discoloration and eventual gangrene. The child was later discharged from the hospital and admitted to PGI Chandigarh, where doctors determined that his right hand had to be amputated to save his life.