Medical negligence: Baby loses 5 fingers; hospital, doctor ordered to pay compensation

Chennai: The Chennai North District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed a hospital and a doctor, here, to provide a compensation of Rs 23.65 lakh spent on treatment besides Rs 10 lakh for pain and suffering caused after a 24-weeks old boy lost five fingers allegedly due to gangrene.

The Commission held the city hospital and gynaecologist liable for negligence and directed them to pay the compensation and also Rs 10,000 towards the cost of litigation, recently.

It said the hospital and the doctor “failed to justify the emergency nature of the procedure or explain why consent was bypassed.” The boy’s premature birth was reportedly caused by a cervical pessary procedure (non-invasive insertion of a silicone ring in the vagina to support the cervix) without obtaining due consent.

The procedure led to the boy developing gangrene and the Commission held that the premature inserting done without testing or emergency need led to complications including preterm delivery at 24 weeks.

The baby’s mother was undergoing fertility treatment, and she was 22 weeks pregnant when the device was inserted.

It was said that during post-delivery and transfer to NICU, the baby developed early signs of gangrene. As a result, all five fingers of his right hand were amputated.