The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) recently upheld a ruling of medical negligence against a Karnataka-based hospital and directed it to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to a patient for its deficient service. The case originated in 2007, when a patient underwent spinal surgery at the hospital. During the procedure, a metallic screw fragment broke off and remained lodged inside the patient’s body. The hospital failed to inform the patient about this lapse, and the discharge summary omitted any mention of the incident.
The patient discovered the presence of the metallic object only later, when he experienced severe pain while working in Dubai. Subsequent radiological tests confirmed the lodged metal fragment, prompting him to file a complaint before the Dakshina Kannada District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. In 2010, the District Commission found the…
