Doctors, Goa hospital told to pay Rs 19 lakh for negligence

Goa Consumers Redressal Commission has asked a panel of doctors and a private hospital near here to pay Rs 19 lakh to the family of a 17-year-old girl, who died due to medical negligence in 2010.

Ravina Rodrigues was admitted for treatment of appendicitis. The teenager was first treated in a private hospital in Vasco town and later in state-run Goa Medical College (GMC). She died allegedly due to wrong diagnosis and negligence on the part of the doctors handling the case.

The landmark judgement was delivered recently by Commission Chairman Justice N A Britto and its member Vidhya Gurav, who said since Pai Hospital is a small medical facility, the compensation amount is just and fair.

The Commission ordered doctors Shantaram Surme, Shridhar Raghuvir Pai, Dilip Amonkar and the Vasco-based hospital to pay Rs 19 lakh as compensation to her family.

A sum of Rs 1 lakh is to be paid to her parents Micheal and Gloria Rodrigues to reimburse the bills generated during Ravina's admission in Pai Hospital and GMC. The rest Rs 18 lakh is to be paid to them for the loss of their daughter who was a bright student, it said.

"The compensation has to be paid within 30 days," they said and added that an interest of 9 per cent would be levied if the amount is paid after the one-month period.
Ravina was admitted to Pai Hospital on July 2, 2010 where she was operated and discharged after three days. She was admitted to GMC on July 10, 2010 with severe abdominal pain.

An ultrasound revealed free fluid in the peritoneal cavity due to which she had to be immediately operated. She died on July 29, 2010 after being admitted in Intensive Care Unit of GMC due to breathlessness.

Ravina's death had caught attention of Goa Government after it was widely reported in the media. The Government had formed a committee of doctors to probe the case.