Kolkata hospital, two doctors asked to pay Rs 60 lakh for cancer patient’s death due to medical negligence | India News

NEW DELHI: The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered a Kolkata-based private hospital and two doctors to pay Rs 60 lakh compensation to the kin of a 37-year-old engineer who died due to medical negligence and deficiency in services. They have been directed to pay the amount in six weeks.
While Woodlands Medical Care Ltd has been directed to pay Rs 30 lakh, the remaining amount will be paid by two doctors — oncologist Dr Rajesh Jindal and anaesthetist Dr Sanay Patwari. The hospital will also have to pay Rs 2 lakh as litigation charges to the kin of the deceased. The order was passed by NCDRC presiding member Dr SM Kantikar earlier this month.
In the order, Kantikar said, “I conclusively determine ‘deficiency’ as well as ‘unfair trade practice’ on the part of the hospital, a multi-specialty tertiary care hospital, of which the highest standard of essential infrastructure and patient’s care, protocols and management was expected, which it failed to provide. The medical negligence is conclusively attributable to both the doctors, however the negligence of the anaesthetist is writ large.”
Alleging medical negligence causing the death of Kuntal Chowdhury, who was working as a software engineer and was the sole earning member of the family, his wife and minor son had filed the complaint before NCDRC seeking Rs 3.1 crore as compensation.
Chowdhury had completed three chemo cycles till June 11, 2008 under Jindal at Woodlands. On February 17, 2008, he consulted the doctor for his B2 cycle and, as advised, got himself admitted to Woodlands on June 18.
It was alleged that at about 10.30 am, Dr Patwari administered chemo to Chowdhury. The doctor intrathecally injected vincristine which was to be given intravenously. Due to this wrong administration, the patient’s condition alarmingly deteriorated. Two days later, realising his precarious condition and to wash off their hands from “wilful negligence”, the hospital and Jindal discharged the patient and referred him to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai for emergency management.
The patient, airlifted to Mumbai with symptoms of fever, weakness of the lower limbs, and urinary retention problems, was admitted to the TMH. The family members were informed that there was a very slim chance of the patient’s survival because of his progressive deteriorating condition. On June 24, 2008, he was shifted to Belle Vue Clinic in Kolkata. The patient passed away on July 9 that year.