Patiala docs fined Rs40L for messing up surgery

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 18

The Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Janak Surgicare, Patiala, to pay Rs 40 lakh as compensation to the family of Japinder Singh in a case of medical negligence, which resulted in the death of his wife.

Kamaljit Kaur had died after her allegedly avoidable laparoscopic surgery and careless handling of the subsequent complication. The commission ordered Dr Janak Raj Arora and Dr Ajata Shatru Kapoor, along with Janak Surgicare, to pay the compensation within two months of the receipt of the order. They are required to deposit an amount of 15 lakh each as fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) in the name of two minor children of Kamaljit Kaur and the remaining Rs 10 lakh to be paid to their father Japinder Singh. The order also allowed Japinder Singh to withdraw the interest amount on the FDRs according to the family’s needs. The children will be free to withdraw the entire amount after they attain 21 years of age.

Kamaljit Kaur, then 38, was examined by Dr Arora after she experienced pain in her abdomen on June 11, 2014. While she was being operated upon on June 13, her portal vein sustained an injury. She was referred to the PGIMER, Chandigarh, as the injury led to the leakage of blood into her abdominal cavity. On way to the PGI, they were forced to stop at Fortis in Mohali, where she died. The complainants had contended that medically speaking, portal vein injury was very rare. Against a normal time of not more than one hour for this kind of surgery, the doctors had taken more than three hours, hinting at the attempt to cover-up the complication.

Counsel for the doctors contended that there was no medical negligence during the operation. He said Dr Arora and his assisting anaesthesia team had followed the standard protocol for the management of portal vein surgery. Dr Janak Raj Arora said: “We will approach the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) for an appeal.”