Hyderabad: The Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC) has ordered a Rs 8 lakh in compensation for the husband and family of a woman who died after a botched tubectomy procedure in a government hospital.
M Lalitha had undergone a tubectomy through the Family Planning Indemnity Scheme at a free medical camp at the Government Community Health Centre in Wanaparthy district. The TGHRC said the state government is “vicariously liable” for medical negligence, which led to the death of the deceased.
In an order released on January 6, the TGHRC, headed by Dr Justice Shameem Akther, stated that the ileal perforation during the surgery and the delay in detecting the issue had caused an abdominal infection and a cardiopulmonary arrest.
In the 2018 case titled HRC No. 2355, the victim had suffered an ileal perforation, which is a serious surgical emergency where a hole is formed in the last part of the small intestine, the ileum, which the hospital had claimed was a mere physiological complication. The Commission rejected the claim and instead observed that the earlier payment of Rs 2 lakhs was “wholly inadequate.”
The victim was survived by her husband and two minor children. Since the deceased’s husband was disabled and the children were still underage, the commission had stressed the recommendation of an additional Rs 8 lakh compensation.
The rights commission further advised the government to provide suitable employment to the husband for the family to continue living with dignity.
