Assam doctor fined Rs 5 lakh for lady patient's death

A doctor here has been fined Rs 5 lakh by Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) after he was held guilty of medical negligence, resulting in the death of a woman suffering from urinary infection in October 2017.

A full bench of the commission headed by its chairperson Justice (retired) T Vaiphei held the doctor, Ghanashyam Thakuria of Ambari Urban Health centre here guilty of medical negligence and asked him to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the husband of the deceased, Pinky Das, within two months. 

The AHRC had registered the case on a complaint of Kamal Das, who alleged that his wife died after being administered injections and being infused with saline on the advice of Thakuria, a doctor of Ambari Fatasil Urban Health Centre. The Commission called for an inquiry report from the Director of Health and Family Welfare, Assam, wherein it was concluded that there was no medical negligence on the part of Thakuria in his treatment of the decease.

"On examination of the report and the documents together with accompanying statements of the persons and the comment of the complainant, it was found that the deceased had a complaint of backache, mild fever, lower abdominal pain and burning sensation," said a statement issued by AHRC on Wednesday.

The Commission observed that it was surprised to see how a patient who, at the time of her examination by the charged doctor only had back pain, could die after being administering the prescribed drug.

"As such, an independent opinion was sought for from an expert/specialist in medicine from the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, wherein no negligence by the charged doctor was found. But in the absence of proper explanation by the charged officer, the Commission had no alternative but to hold the charged officer guilty of medical negligence, which resulted in the death of Pinky Das," the commission said.

The AHRC recommended that as the employer of the charged officer, it is open to the Assam government to pay the said amount on his behalf and may recover the same from his salary by installments or otherwise.