Doctor’s failure to detect brain tumour cost girl her eyesight, says Commission
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) has enhanced the compensation amount to be paid to a girl who lost her vision in both eyes due to the misdiagnosis of a brain tumour as a squint by an ophthalmologist.
According to a report by The New Indian Express, the incident dates back to 2003 when the girl, then a first-grade student, showed signs of a squint in her left eye. She was taken to a Kollam-based hospital where the attending ophthalmologist failed to detect the actual cause — a brain tumour — and instead advised squint treatment. Despite undergoing tests like fundoscopy and refraction, crucial diagnostic procedures such as CT scan and indirect ophthalmoscopy were not performed.
During a follow-up six months later, the doctor informed the girl’s parents that vision in her left eye had already been lost. It was only after they approached Aravind Eye Hospital in Tirunelveli that a CT scan revealed a brain tumour. The patient was later treated at the Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), where she underwent a craniotomy and tumour decompression surgery. Unfortunately, she lost vision in her right eye following the procedure.
The District Consumer Commission in Kollam had earlier ordered the hospital and the doctor to jointly pay ₹10 lakh as compensation and ₹50,000 towards legal costs. The ophthalmologist challenged this verdict in the State Consumer Court.
However, the SCDRC bench — comprising President Justice B Sudheendra Kumar and members Ajith Kumar D and Radhakrishnan K R — upheld the complaint after reviewing expert opinions. The Commission pointed out several lapses, including the failure to conduct standard tests required for a detailed squint evaluation, and the delay in referring the patient to a neurologist despite clear signs of neurological involvement.
The Commission further stated that the doctor continued with eye treatment even after suspecting the tumour during the September review, thereby causing irreversible harm.
This case highlights the critical importance of adhering to standard medical protocols in diagnosis and referral, especially in children exhibiting symptoms that may point to more serious underlying conditions.
