Punjab: Bathinda private hospital told to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to woman for medical negligence
The ultrasound revealed the woman had tube pregnancy and was asked to take immediate treatment.   |  Photo Credit: iStock Images
Key Highlights
- As Neetu's condition did not improve, she was taken to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital for another surgery
- Redressal Commission had found Dr Nagpal guilty of negligence
Chandigarh: A Bathinda-based private hospital has been asked to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to a 26-year-old woman for alleged medical negligence. The order was passed by Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission which also asked the hospital to pay Rs 11,000 as the cost of litigation.
In her complaint, the woman Neetu Rani alleged that she had stomach pain and was taken to Garg Diagnostic Centre where she underwent an ultrasound scan. The ultrasound revealed the woman had tube pregnancy and was asked to take immediate treatment.
The woman was brought to Nagpal Super Specialty Hospital on April 25, 2017. At the facility, Neetu was examined by Dr Rupinder Kaur Nagpal. Neetu was admitted to the hospital after seeing the report by the diagnostic centre, according to a report in Indian Express.
The woman then underwent surgery and continued to experience stomach pain. When she approached the doctor complaining about the pain, the woman was prescribed some medicine and injection. However, the pain remained and she also vomited.
As Neetu's condition did not improve, she was taken to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC), Ludhiana on May 8, 2017. There she again underwent surgery and was later discharged.
According to the woman's complaint, she learnt that she suffered a cut in her intestine during the surgery at Nagpal Super Specialty Hospital. However, the Nagpal Hospital denied any wrongdoing in the surgery while presenting its case at the commission.
"It is case of inadequate evaluation, failure to recognize complications after surgery. Dr Rupinder Kaur Nagpal did not obtain CT scan, which should have been done to assess the abdominal pain. There is also failure of thorough history for and just-in-time approach. There appears to be apparent investigation errors, such as required lab tests and diagnostic images were not done… Failure to make exact diagnosis is often less important than correctly assessing the urgency of patient’s illness. Opposite party No.2 (Dr Rupinder Kaur Nagpal) missed the diagnosis of perforation, such is lack of gold standard for both testing and standard of care. Hence, it amounts to medical negligence and deficiency in service,” the report quoted from the Commission's order as saying.