Medical negligence: US doc gets Rs 1.77 cr in damages

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Kanchan Chakraborty: Kolkata, Oct 22 2011, 03:47 IST

Awarding a record compensation in a medical negligence case, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) Friday directed a Kolkata hospital, Advanced Medicare and Research Institute Limited Hospital, and three doctors to pay Rs 1.77 crore to a US doctor for the death of his wife during treatment in 1998.

However, Dr Kunal Saha, husband of Anuradha Saha, said he was not happy and would move the Supreme Court. “I had demanded compensation of Rs 97 crore,” he said over the phone from the US.

But he said “the compensation is the highest ever in medical legal history and should send a strong signal to negligent doctors and hospitals in India”.

The NCDRC said, “The foreign residence of the complainant or the patient and the income of the deceased patient are relevant factors but compensation awarded by an Indian forum cannot be at par with what is ordinarily granted by foreign courts in such cases.”

Anuradha, a child psychologist, during her visit to Kolkata in 1998 developed rashes on her body. On may 11, she was admitted to the hospital and was treated by doctors Sukumar Mukherjee, Baidyanath Halder, Abani Roychaudhury and Balaram Prasad. As there was no improvement, she was shifted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, where she died on May 28. The doctors there said she was suffering from Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, a rare and deadly dermatological disease.

Following her death, Saha filed a criminal case against the four doctors and the hospital.

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Reader's Comments (2)| Post a Comment

This case is only the lid of many such gross medical negligence deaths across India

srini | 27-Oct-2011Reply | Forward

This case is only the lid of many such gross medical negligence deaths that occured at hands of prominent Corporate hospitalas across India! Feudal medical drs parading as medical leaders! almost dr-political-bureacracy nxus http://nigelheatonfiles.blogspot.com/

A right decision against medical negligence

Prasanta Kumar meher | 22-Oct-2011Reply | Forward

Today's doctors taking advantage of their profession not treating the patients, rather earning money illegally. They intensifying the disease first and start treatment. Wrong dignosis and try to treat beyond their knowledge makes condition of patients horrible further. Some recovered and most of them suffered.