Court blows away ‘cloud of doubts’ cast by the patient

  • Posted on: March 30, 2020

It is fashionable these days to sue doctors and hospitals, or so it seems. Why else would patients waste their time and that of the caregivers even though they do not have an iota of substance or evidence to prove their case?

Kovuri’s right leg was fractured in a bike accident. He approached the hospital where a surgery was performed. The patient remained admitted for about a fortnight after which he was discharged.

He visited the hospital two more times for treatment, but did not visit for follow up as advised after that.

Surprisingly, and for the most unfounded and silliest of reasons, he sued the hospital and claimed that the doctors left a wooden piece in his leg during the operation which was removed at another hospital.

The hospital was well aware about the increasing trend to blame healthcare practitioners even for a sneeze! They provided medical records and X-ray reports to present their case.

The Commission seemed to be unimpressed as it was observed that the patient did not produce a ‘single scrap of paper’ to substantiate that doctors had left wooden piece in his leg. Merely submitting a wooden piece as evidence to prove the claim was not enough!

Even the X-ray report produced by the hospital did not show any foreign object in patient’s leg, further observed the Commission.

The complaint was obviously quashed as it was observed that the facts on hand ‘casts a cloud on patient’s version’.

Source: Order pronounced by Andhra Pradesh State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on 6th December, 2019.