Chandigarh: In a significant ruling, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) – DF-1, Chandigarh, has directed Mukat Hospital to pay a compensation of ₹25 lakh to a patient for medical negligence during a gallbladder surgery.
The incident dates back to 2021, when the complainant, suffering from gallstones, underwent a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy at the hospital. During the procedure, a Pancreatic Duct (PD) stent reportedly broke, leaving fragments inside the duct. The hospital failed to remove the broken stent and subsequently referred the patient to Medanta Hospital, Gurugram, where further treatment and removal procedures were carried out.
The Commission found that the hospital lacked the specialized equipment to handle such complications and questioned its decision to proceed with the surgery despite this inadequacy. The court also noted that the patient and family were not immediately informed of the complication, and the subsequent referral to Medanta caused undue financial and emotional hardship.
In its verdict, the Commission termed the hospital’s actions as a “deficiency in service” and found the use of a low-quality stent as a critical lapse.
The court directed Mukat Hospital to:
- Refund ₹6.37 lakh (spent at Medanta Hospital) with 9% interest from the date of complaint filing
- Pay ₹25 lakh as compensation for mental agony and physical hardship
- Pay ₹10,000 as litigation costs
The ruling sets a strong precedent for accountability in private healthcare and reinforces the patient’s right to quality and informed medical care.
