Ulhasnagar-based doctor penalised for botched-up surgery

The Thane Consumer dispute redressal forum, penalised an Ulhasnagar based doctor thus asking him to pay an amount of Rs 2 lakh towards the complainant for the mental agony he went through because of the medical negligence.

The case dates back to December 2012, when Mohanlal Premchandani from Ulhasnagar, had approached Dr Prabhu Ahuja, the owner of Shivneri hospital, after he complained of fever and lack of hunger. He approached his local physician to seek medical help, but it did not work. The complainant then realised that he had developed swelling in his abdomen and the physician advised him an X-ray. The reports concluded that there was a development of abscess in his stomach and he thus approached Dr Ahuja for treatment.

According to the order copy, the doctor initially, without injecting anesthesia, tried to clean the pus, but as it did not work, so in January 2013, he got himself admitted in the hospital. The doctor performed surgery on him and later asked his ward boy to clean the wound on a daily basis. The doctor at one point, asked the ward boy to remove his stitches. Even after taking the treatment, the complainant did not get relief. He then approached Fortis Hospital in Kalyan where he was informed that the pus was not cleaned properly, which resulted in the development of certain organisms and if not, operated early, the infection would have reached his brain. When the forum asked the doctor to file his reply, he claimed that the complainant was trying to make some money so they should reject the plea.