Comm tells hosp to pay Rs 5L in 10 days to 54-yr-old patient
Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has directed Flemming Hospital to pay Rs 5.90 lakh to the family members of a 54-year-old woman who died due to negligence of the hospital. A faulty intravenous cannulation caused gangrene on her right hand. The patient developed thrombosis and later died after being shifted to another hospital.
"We have asked the hospital authorities to provide a compensation of Rs 5.90 lakh to the deceased's family. The hospital claimed that they had taken enough care and the discharge summary of the patient says that she had issues on her left hand but in reality she had developed gangrene on her right hand. It happened possibly because of a faulty intravenous cannulation at the Fleming Hospital," said WBCERC Chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Banerjee.
He furthered added: "We have ordered the hospital to pay the amount in three installment failing which an interest at 8 percent would also be charged. The hospital authorities have urged for a mercy petition after passing the order. We have, therefore, allowed them to pay Rs 5 lakh within 10 days. If they fail to do so within the stipulated time, the compensation would be up to Rs 5.90 lakh."
The victim, Rekha Sharma (54), was taken to the GD Hospital on April 8 this year but the patient could not be admitted as renovation work was on. She was then shifted to Flemming Hospital on April 9 as she tested positive for Covid. The family members alleged that the treatment was not done properly and they told the hospital that they would take the patient home. As they were taking her home, the family members noticed some issues on her right hand, which was later found to be thrombosis. The patient was finally taken to another private hospital in Salt Lake on April 15 with a bandage around her wounds. The patient eventually died.
"As per the record of the last hospital the patient had developed gangrene. The patient had comorbidities but thrombosis cannot be ruled out as a cause of death. Even if the patient had returned, she would have her right hand amputated due to gangrene," Banerjee said.
In another development, the WBCERC has asked Charnock Hospital to return Rs 1.22 as the hospital had charged exorbitantly. The patient, a 38-year-old woman, was admitted to the hospital with Covid and later died. Family members raised billing related issues. The hospital had charged the patient Rs 4.22 lakh for 10 days of treatment. The Commission also directed Shree Jain Hospital in Howrah's Shibpur to return Rs 10,000 in connection with the treatment of a 21-year-old youth who was admitted to the hospital with chest pain. The hospital charged the patient Rs 22,000 for a stay of 16 hours. There was no proper cardiology unit at the hospital.
