Hospitals Slapped With Rs 19 Lakh Fine For Medical Negligence

HYDERABAD, 11 JAN 2018: An increasing number of hospitals and clinics in the city are offering knee, hip and joint replacement surgeries. However, caution needs to be exercised in choosing the right place to go under the knife.

In one such shocking case, a 36-year-old woman was left permanently disabled after undergoing hip replacement surgery in the city under the supervision of a “senior orthopaedic surgeon.”

The issue came to light after District Consumer Forum slapped a fine of ₹ 19 lakh on two hospitals —Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) and Sunshine Hospitals —for the faulty surgery.

The complaint filed by homemaker Y Rama Reddy dates back to 2011; she was left bedridden after the surgery in 2009. Since childhood, Rama Reddy had juvenile rheumatic arthritis, and since her condition worsened into chronic back pain, she opted for the surgery.

After the procedure Reddy developed left foot drop —a paralytic condition —for which physiotherapy was recommended. However, her condition did not improve for two years following which she visited the Sunshine Hospital setup by Dr Gurva Reddy for follow-ups.  

Continuous nerve condition study report revealed there was no improvement in the foot drop. Eventually, in August 2011 she was given a certificate of disability by KG Hospital, Vishakapatnam, where she moved to after the surgery. Her disability certificate stated that she was 60 per cent disabled.

In her complaint, Rama Reddy alleged that her surgeon Gurva Reddy was the reason for the irreparable damage caused to her. The doctor used to work at KIMS before opening his own hospital —Sunshine. The doctor’s counsel argued that he was the “senior-most specialist” in the field and that the victim was informed of the complications that could arise.

The forum held that the doctor, despite his experience, did not suggest a tendon transfer surgery to correct the foot drop mounting to medical negligence. It directed the two hospitals to reimburse her medical bill of ₹ 5.8 lakh along with a 9 per cent interest from the date of filing the complaint. It also paid ₹ 10,000 to be paid as court charges. The New Indian Express