The G M Modi Hospital slapped with Rupees 21 lakhs of penalty for medical negligence

A man finally won after a decade of the death of his wife due to medical complications. A man was fighting a battle with city hospital for the medical negligence that causes the death of his wife. Finally, Delhi State Consumer Redressal Commission found G M Modi Hospital guilty and slapped a fine of Rs 21 lakh as a penalty for their medical negligence and also said that to make extra money, they did “unnecessary” surgeries. The hospital also included a bill of the surgeries that were never done to inflate the medical bills.

Judicial members O P Gupta and Anil Srivastava, while imposing the penalty also accused the hospital of “washing its hands off” and trying to wriggle out of its “mischief”.

Vishnu Priya Giri, Delhi resident was admitted to the hospital because of the stomach pain and had gone through the operation on February 6, 2006, for “laparoscopic cholecystectomy mucocele gallbladder type-I” with multiple “fibroids uterus”. The discharge reports of the patient displayed that the patient had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy and common bile duct (CBD) exploration with laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy.

In the complaint, her husband alleged that there was no clue to show a block in CBD requiring the surgery. He also added that no consent was obtained and the patient could not fully recover because of the pain.

Test reports taken at the RML Hospital proved the existence of several cancerous tumors and were at their advanced stage. A patient, Vishnu Priya eventually died on January 1, 2008, and Madhusudhan Giri, her husband alleged that the surgically removed gallbladder was not sent for histopathological examination and only the uterus was sent. He also contended that the gallbladder got damaged during the operation and the bile in it spilled inside causing irreparable damage to the organs.

The Medical superintendent and consultant at G M Modi Hospital, Dr. Manoj Malik accused the operating doctor, Dr. A K Panigrahi, for being responsible and denied any role. MCI (Medical Council of India) upheld the decision of Delhi Medical Council and found the medical negligence on the part of Dr. Panigrahi and complicity of the hospital.