Better equipment or higher facility?

  • Posted on: July 16, 2020

A hospital was recently sued and held negligent for not transferring a premature infant to a higher facility.

The underweight premature baby was put on mechanical ventilator, but her condition did not show improvement. The doctors and medical team were giving best possible care. They shifted the little one to a high frequency ventilator with a hope that she would respond better.

The parents however, wanted to shift her to a higher centre. But the doctors did not pay heed to their request. Unfortunately, the baby died after some days.

The Commission ruled that it would have been prudent to shift the baby to a higher centre rather than shifting her to a high frequency ventilator; especially after repeated requests made by the parents. This was one mistake that wronged all the right done by the hospital and its doctors, as they were held negligent.

Source: Order pronounced by Haryana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi on 11th February, 2020.