New Delhi: Doctors negligence could eventually cost lives but recently shaming the negligence of Hospital and the Doctors, a case has surfaced in Delhi where a woman was left with a needle in her uterus after her delivery back in 2009.
Rubina who visited Shree Jeewan Hospital in north Delhi for her delivery, unfortunately, had to experience Hospital’s negligence who left a needle in her uterus during conducting the delivery. The medical tragedy she was subjected to in 2009 shattered all her dreams of a normal life and left her with medical complications that are still uncured.
As a result Rubina went through traumatic painful nights after her delivery in the hospital before the needle was taken out.
She filed a complaint alleging negligence and deficiency in service against the private hospital and moved to consumer court when she learned that she would never be able to conceive again due to hospital’s negligence claiming for compensation.
The Delhi State Consumer Redressal Commission while dismissing the appeal of the Shree Jeewan Hospital, upheld the district forums order of asking the hospital to pay compensation to the victim.
The Commission has slammed a 30 lakh Rupees fine on the private hospital for its negligence, noting the fact that the hospital employed a pharmacist for the job of a Doctor.
The State Commission bench with presiding officers NP Kaushik and Salma Noor said ‘Instead of employing a qualified doctor who draws a salary of around Rs two lakhs, the hospital is getting the job done by a pharmacist. How many such episiotomy wounds have been stitched by … (pharmacist) is anybody’s guess.’
It added ‘The appeal preferred by the hospital is dismissed. The hospital is burdened with costs of Rs 30 lakh for being ‘negligent’ and ‘deficient in service’. The said costs shall be deposited by the hospital in Consumer Welfare Fund of the State maintained by this Commission’.
The bench noting the feeble attempt of the hospital to cover up said, ‘Hospital has gone to the extent of manipulating the records to make believe that it was a doctor and nurse who conducted the delivery’.
Recalling the chain of events, Rubina was admitted to the private hospital for her delivery on 15 September 2009 and delivered a girl child.
It was during conducting her delivery, the doctors left the needle in her uterus for which she bled extensively, suffered extensive pain and trauma to which the doctors were negligent to pay attention to her pain alleged Rubina in her plea.
She also said after an X-ray was conducted was the needle was removed from the uterus in the same hospital and that she went through Ultrasound in 2009, which revealed her uterus was retroflexed and she would never be able to conceive again.
It was then she decided and lodged a complaint against the hospital and moved to district consumer forum.
Asking the hospital to compensate for its negligence the district forum slammed the hospital a fine of Rs 30 lakh. The same was challenged before the state commission by the hospital authorities. The hospital later admitted the presence of the needle in the womb but denied negligence.
There is was no case of medical negligence according to the Delhi Medical Council, One India reported.