HYDERABAD — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I, Hyderabad, has ordered Akshara Medical and Research Centre (also known as Ankura Hospital, Banjara Hills) and its consulting gynaecologist, Dr. N. Sarada Vani, to pay ₹30 lakh in compensation for the death of a 51-year-old woman. The Commission ruled that performing a non-emergency hysterectomy on a patient with severe anaemia constituted “unwarranted” medical action and a gross deficiency in service.
The Fatal Lapse in Judgment
On October 27, 2021, the patient, G. Lakshmi Narasamma, presented with heavy and prolonged menstrual bleeding. Clinical tests revealed her haemoglobin was 8.4 g/dL, significantly below the normal range, confirming an anaemic state. Despite this, the doctor recommended a total laparoscopic hysterectomy for the following evening.
The Commission noted that even after a pre-operative blood transfusion, the patient’s haemoglobin did not improve—a critical signal that the surgery should have been delayed. “The doctor ought not to have conducted the surgery in a hasty manner,” the court observed, noting there was no evidence the procedure was a life-saving necessity at that moment.
Post-Surgical Complications and Infrastructure Gaps
Hours after the surgery, the patient’s condition deteriorated rapidly:
- Vital Signs: Her blood pressure plummeted to 70/30, and her oxygen saturation dropped to 88%.
- Organ Failure: Blood tests showed signs of liver and kidney failure, with internal bleeding confirmed by scans.
- Transfer: Because Akshara Medical lacked essential facilities like a dialysis unit or a CT scan, the patient had to be shifted to another private hospital in Jubilee Hills.
Despite being placed on a ventilator at the second hospital, she succumbed to her condition on October 30, 2021, due to acute kidney injury and severe metabolic acidosis.
The Court’s Verdict
The hospital’s defence—that the patient died of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS)—was rejected by the Commission, which found no evidence of pre-operative infection to support such a claim. The court applied the principle of ‘res ipsa loquitur’ (the thing speaks for itself), stating the circumstances clearly pointed to negligence.
In addition to the ₹30 lakh compensation for mental agony and loss, the hospital and doctor were ordered to pay ₹20,000 in litigation costs. They have been given 45 days to comply with the order.
