Fever Caused by Post surgery Infection : Consumer Court directs Hospital, Gynecologist to pay compensation, medical expenses. A district Consumer court had directed a Gynecologist and based hospital to compensate for alleged medical negligence, where the doctor allegedly left fluid and blood pieces inside a patient who had been admitted for the delivery of her baby. This resulted in infection and the patient had continuous fever for some time. When the Complainant approached the Consumer Court, the Commission took note of the Ultrasound Scan report of the whole abdomen, which mentioned, ""after delivery, the stomach was not completely cleaned and fluid and blood pieces were found, due to which infection was caused'. "In the said circumstances, we are of the considered opinion that due to the laxity of the Opposite Parties, after the surgery stomach was not completely cleaned and fluid and blood pieces were found, due to which infection was caused and as such had high temperature which was later controlled and treated at hospitals," observed the Commission. Holding the doctor and hospital guilty, the Commission directed them to pay the complainant jointly and severally an amount of Rs 2,20,000 towards medical expenses and an amount of Rs 2 lakhs towards compensation. Further, the commission directed them to pay another Rs 10,000 for costs of complaint. The case goes back to 2013 when the complainant was admitted to the treating hospital for the delivery of her child and surgery operation was performed for that and a female baby was born. The complainant alleged that all of a sudden the treating gynecologist left the hospital stating the reason to drop her children to school and instructed the sisters to attend the cleaning. It had been further submitted that the Complainant was shifted to a room in a profusely sweating condition and when she was shifted to the general ward, she had 102 degree centigrade fever. Medicines, injections and sponging were advised, however, the fever didn't subside. Consequently, the treating gynecologist advised for fever profile test done and everything was normal and following that 3 days malaria course and 3 days of injection courses were also done. However, as the fever continued, the complainant was referred to a second doctor who during scanning detected that after the delivery the stomach was not completely cleaned and fluid and blood pieces were found, due to which infection was caused. In fact, the second doctor allegedly informed the complainant that it could affect her heart, liver and kidneys after some days. Later, the complainant consulted another gynecologist advised for re-surgery but also opined that due to low hemoglobin count, the patient could possibly go into coma. Later, the complainant got shifted to another hospital where the doctor admitted her with an undertaking that as the condition of the patient was serious, the doctors should not be held responsible for any untoward incident. The MRI scanning done on 26.08.2013 showed presence of blood pieces and fluid in the patient's stomach and the temperature went #106 degrees centigrade. However, later as the doctors could control fever and the rose 8.5 mg after blood transfusion doctors avoided re-surgery and continued medicines and on the date of the complaint also, the complainant was still on constant medication. Claiming that even the authorities of the first hospital had admitted the mistake and had assured that justice would be done, the complainant sought Rs 2,20,000 compensation towards medical expenditure and another 5 lakh rupees for loss of health, money and causing mental agony.
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