Another one bites the dust

  • Posted on: January 22, 2021

In yet another instance of baseless litigation, a patient’s complaint was dismissed by the Consumer Commission.

The patient was taken to the hospital with a badly bruised blister on the right leg. It was diagnosed as burst perianal abscess, fournier’s gangrene with necrotizing fasciitis. He was referred to another hospital, but his condition was at the peak of deterioration.

After eight days, the patient was referred to another higher center where his right leg was eventually amputated.

The patient lost his limb and perhaps also his good sense as he sued the second hospital. It was pointlessly alleged that the hospital obtained fees to conduct tests but bills were not issued. It was also alleged that that on account of hospital’s negligence gangrene spread to an extent that the leg had to be amputated, a fact that the higher center also corroborated.

The Commission perused medical records and rejected patient’s claims. The indoor medical records reflected that the patient was issued bill for the tests that were conducted. The doctors at the second hospital had clearly informed the patient and relatives about the deteriorating condition and immediate need for amputation, but they had refused.

The Commission also rejected patient’s claim that the third hospital had attributed negligence on the second hospital’s part, observing that there was ‘not an iota of evidence to support the allegation’.

Source: Order pronounced by Haryana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on 9th November, 2020.