Chandigarh: In a case of medical negligence, a state government authority has been ordered to pay Rs 10.48 lakh in compensation to a woman who suffered due to a cotton gauze left inside her urinary bladder during a C-section surgery at a civil hospital. The local court directed the MD, Punjab Health Systems Corporation, to compensate the woman along with interest at the rate of 9% per annum.
The incident dates back to January 31, 2015, when the woman was admitted to the Civil Hospital, Phase-VI, Mohali for delivery. The treating doctor advised her to undergo a caesarian operation, which was performed on the same day. The woman was discharged from the hospital on February 10, 2015.
However, just days after her discharge, she began experiencing severe pain in her lower body. She returned to the hospital for treatment, but no improvement was made. The woman then sought help from private hospitals, where it was discovered that she had a stone. During an operation on June 26, 2015, to remove the stone, the private doctor found that a cotton gauze had been left inside her urinary bladder during the earlier C-section. As a result, the woman had to undergo another surgery to remove the gauze.
Accusing the civil hospital of gross negligence, the woman filed a plea in the local court, claiming that she had endured significant physical, emotional, and financial distress due to the incident.
The hospital’s counsel denied the allegations, asserting that the woman’s child had been in good health at the time of discharge. However, the private doctor testified that the gauze must have been left in the bladder during the C-section surgery. After the removal of the sponge, the woman’s condition improved.
Upon reviewing the case, Rahul Garg, Civil Judge (Senior Division), Chandigarh, concluded that it had been proven that the gauze was left behind in the urinary bladder due to the doctor’s negligence. The judge ruled that the woman was entitled to compensation for the immense pain, mental trauma, and suffering caused by the incident.
The court has ordered the hospital to pay the woman Rs 10.48 lakh as compensation, along with 9% annual interest from the date of the filing of the lawsuit.
