A Bengaluru woman has been awarded Rs 5 lakh in compensation by the Karnataka State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, nearly 20 years after a 3.2 cm surgical needle was left in her body post-surgery at a private hospital. The commission directed Deepak Hospital and two doctors to pay Padmavathi, a resident of Jayanagar, Rs 50,000 for litigation expenses. New India Assurance Co., Ltd, which covered the hospital expenses, was ordered to pay her Rs 5 lakh for "professional and medical negligence."
The incident
In 2004, the then 32-year-old Padmavathi underwent hernia surgery at Deepak Hospital, where her appendix was also removed. The day after surgery, she experienced severe pain, which was dismissed as post-surgery discomfort. Despite repeated complaints of acute stomach and back pain, she received only painkillers.
Discovery and removal of needle
In 2010, Padmavathi visited another hospital, where a scan revealed a foreign object in her abdomen and back. She underwent surgery to remove the 3.2 cm surgical needle and subsequently filed a complaint with the consumer forum.
Consumer forum's verdict
The forum acknowledged the severe pain and inconvenience suffered by Padmavathi due to the negligence. It ruled that she is entitled to a "global compensation" of Rs 5 lakh, to be paid by the insurance company. Additionally, the two doctors involved were ordered to cover Rs. 50,000 in litigation expenses.
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