Nacharam Life Spring Maternity Hospital fined Rs 2L for goofing up cesarean

Complainant Arva Bhagya, a resident of Kushaiguda was admitted to Life Spring Maternity Hospital for delivery. Though it was expected to be a normal delivery, the next day a cesarean was performed by Dr.K.Varija and a female baby was born.

According to her, Dr.K.Varija left the hospital when the patient was still on the operation table and the cleaning procedure was yet to be done. She instructed the nurse to attend to the patient and clean her womb.

The complainant was profusely sweating and she was shifted to a room. The next day when the complainant was shifted to the general ward she was running a 102-degree fever.

Even when sutures were removed after a week, her fever was not under control. The complainant was referred to Raghavendra Hospital where a doctor ran blood and other tests.

During scanning, it was detected that the womb was not properly cleaned after delivery. Fluid and blood strains were found in the womb which caused an infection. The doctor said it could even affect the heart, liver, and kidneys.

Later another Gynecologist advised for re-surgery. She however expressed inability because the patient was running a fever and hemoglobin level was low. The patient could have slipped into Coma.

The complainant was later admitted to ICU but the fever could not be controlled. Under these circumstances, blood transfusion was not possible. She was in critical condition. Fluid and blood strain had to be removed. The infection needed to be treated so that fever could be controlled. Only then surgery was possible

The complainant was again shifted to Jayakrishna Hospital where she was asked to give an undertaking that doctors will not be held responsible for any untoward incident. When the fever was controlled and doctors administered blood transfusion and her hemoglobin level jumped to 8.5 mg

Doctors avoided re-surgery and put her on high doses of antibiotics and other medicines. The complainant is still on constant medication. Later, three persons from Life Spring Maternity Hospital came to Jayakrishna Hospital and admitted a mistake. They assured that justice will be done to the complainant.

The hospital in its submission said that it takes up to 5 weeks for the uterus cavity to reach the normal level. There were no retained products of conception.

In case of any `Retained Products of Conception (RPOC)' found, the doctors should have done a D&C procedure. But records show that no such procedure was conducted and the patient was managed medically. And as such the allegations of the complainant are totally incorrect and appear as misconceptions.

The commission said it was detected that after delivery, the womb was not properly cleaned and fluid and blood strains were found due to which infection was caused.

"We are of the considered opinion that there was laxity on part of the Life Spring Hospital. After the cesarean, the womb was not completely cleaned and fluid and blood strains were found due to which infection was caused. The patient suffered from a high fever which was later controlled at Raghavendra and Jayakrishna hospitals. This indicates that opposite parties were negligent in discharging their duties. It constrained the complainant to approach other hospitals for treatment. She later incurred additional expenditure," said the commission.

The commission asked the hospital and doctor to jointly pay the complainant an amount of Rs. 2,20,000 towards the medical expenses and to pay an amount of Rs.2,00,000 towards compensation besides Rs.10,000 cost of litigation.