The Maharashtra State Consumer Commission has held the reputed Mumbai hospital and a doctor attached to it guilty of medical negligence in the treatment of a Dadar resident during her knee-replacement surgery in March 1996. The state commission has directed PD Hinduja National Hospital and Research Center and Dr. Saanjay Agarwala to pay Veera Kotwal Rs. 18.08 lakh, which she had to spend in the US to cure the defects caused by the surgery, and Rs.
50,000 towards litigation cost. According to the complaint, on March 29, 1996, Kotwal underwent knee-replacement surgery, as she was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. It was alleged in the complaint that though she continuously suffered joint pain followed by puss formation because of bacterial infection in the operation theatre, the surgeon who operated upon her did not bother to check her. She further alleged that the doctors attending…
