Rangareddy Consumer Commission Holds Centre Guilty of Medical Negligence
Hyderabad: The Rangareddy District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed a diagnostic centre in Hyderabad to pay ₹2.2 lakh in compensation for issuing an incorrect medical report during a pregnancy scan. The commission observed that the error could have led to serious consequences for both the mother and the foetus.
The bench ordered the centre to refund ₹1,700 collected for the scan, pay ₹2 lakh as compensation for medical negligence, and an additional ₹20,000 towards litigation expenses. The order came after the commission found clear deficiency in service.
According to the complaint, the woman had visited her gynaecologist on March 15, 2024, for a routine antenatal check-up. During the consultation, the doctor suspected a possible cyst in the foetal neck and advised her to undergo a Nuchal Translucency (NT) scan for further evaluation.
The following day, she underwent the NT scan at a diagnostic centre in Dilsukhnagar. The scan report stated that the findings were normal, recording an NT value of 1.8 mm and failing to mention any cyst or abnormality in the foetus.
However, doubting the accuracy of the report, the woman opted for a repeat scan at another diagnostic facility in Kothapet two days later. The second scan revealed an 11 mm cyst on the left side of the foetus’s neck — a significant abnormality that had not been detected earlier.
Medical experts reportedly informed her that relying solely on the initial report could have posed serious risks to both maternal and foetal health. Based on medical advice and the findings of the second scan, she underwent a medical termination of pregnancy on March 22, 2024.
Subsequently, in July 2024, she approached the consumer commission alleging diagnostic negligence, mental trauma, and financial loss. The diagnostic centre defended itself by claiming that the cyst was not visible at the time of the NT scan.
After examining medical records and evidence presented by both sides, the commission concluded that the failure to detect the abnormality amounted to medical negligence and deficiency in service. It therefore directed the diagnostic centre to compensate the complainant and refund the scan charges accordingly.
