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Compensation of Rs. 20 lakh awarded in a case of death due to medical negligence

National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC): While holding Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGI), Chandigarh guilty of medical negligence, NCDRC upheld the order of Chandigarh State Commission and also enhanced the total compensation from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh in case of death of a girl due to delay in treatment. The Commission was hearing an appeal filed by the parents of the deceased challenging the order of Chandigarh State Commission vide which the Institute was directed to pay Rs 7 lakh and Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) to pay Rs 3 lakh to them. The parents of the deceased approached NCDRC for enhancement of compensation awarded by the State Commission. PGI, Chandigarh had also filed appeal before Commission in the matter. The facts of the case are that a schoolgirl aged about 16 years, on her way from her school to residence was crushed by a CTU bus when she was attempting to board it in July 2012. She was admitted into Advance Trauma Centre (ATC) of PGI, Chandigarh. Due to medical negligence and incompetence, her leg got infected and her left lower limb was amputated in an attempt to prevent the gangrene from spreading to other parts of the body. Later as the doctors of the Institute failed to check or control the spread of gangrene, it led to untimely death of the girl. The parents had alleged that the girl died due to delay in proper treatment and negligence on the part of the doctors of the Institute. In its defense, Institute submitted that the deceased was planned for surgery at the time of admission itself, but the procedure was delayed due to heavy rush of patients in the hospital. After perusing the material on record, which included report provided by eminent doctors in the case and hearing both the parties, NCDRC held the Institute guilty for medical negligence and noted that, “It may be pertinent to note that O.P.No.1-Hospital is a prestigious medical institute. Therefore, it is expected from such institute that it should work not in a purely bureaucratic manner i.e. patient should be treated as per seniority in the queue, but it should be run in a professional manner. The medical surgeries, operations and other emergency treatments are to be administered keeping in view the nature of ailment, seriousness and other exigencies as per the best judgment of the treating doctor. In the present case, it is an admitted fact that condition of the patient was quite serious from the time she was admitted in the Hospital. Keeping in view the nature of ailment from which the patient was suffering, O.P. No.1-Hospital should not have insisted on red  tapism.  On the other hand, it is really unfortunate that due to the bureaucratic approach and red tapism adopted by O.P. No.1-Hospital, a precious life of young girl could not be saved.” While upholding the order of State Commission, NCDRC dismissed the appeal filed by the Institute and increased the amount of compensation in the matter. “We deem it appropriate to award a further sum of Rs.10,00,000/- (Rupees Ten Lacs only) to the appellants, since they have to bear with all  the trauma, mental agony, pain and sufferings, throughout their remaining life,” NCDRC noted. [Amit Sarkar v. Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, 2015 SCC OnLine NCDRC 13, decided on 21.05.2015]

 Article referred: http://blog.scconline.com/post/2015/06/04/compensation-of-rs-20-lakh-awarded-in-a-case-of-death-due-to-medical-negligence.aspx

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