You may have come across some of the most ridiculous claims and outlandish allegations. The ones you will read in this case are up there in the ranks, perhaps even contends to be in the top 10!
Likhitha was blessed with a baby girl and was regularly following up at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Hospital where she had delivered the child. After about 15 days, an X-ray was performed which showed a needle-like object in the baby’s buttock. A minor surgery was performed and the object was removed.
The new mother was furious at the hospital and its doctors for some reasons known best to her, and she vented out that anger by dragging them to Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
It was alleged that she was forced to give birth outside the labour room and a plastic sheet was put on her bed which was taken out from some other patient’s bed. It was further alleged that the needle was stuck in the baby’s buttock due to negligence of doctors and they must pay for it!
The hospital refuted the allegations and pointed out that during one of her follow-up visits, the patient was made aware of induration on baby’s right gluteal region. X-ray confirmed that it was a needle-like object and a surgeon removed the same. It was further pointed out that a paediatrician attached to the hospital had done a thorough examination of the baby at the time of discharge and had recorded ‘no abnormality detected’. The allegations are frivolous and must be quashed, concluded the hospital.
And quashed they were as the Commission observed that if the needle was stuck in the baby’s buttock, then the mother would’ve have noticed it while cleaning her and the baby may have cried too. The Commission hence drew an inference that the needle was stuck from some other source and it was not due to negligence on the hospital’s part.
The hospital authorities breathed a sigh of relief as the saga was brought to an end.
Source: Order pronounced by Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Thiruvananthapuram on 13th May, 2019.