Medical negligence: Hyderabad consumer panel asks Ankura Hospital, doctor to pay ₹30L for woman's death
G. Nageswara Rao of Karthikeya Nagar, Nacharam, said his anaemic wife, Lakshminarasamma, was admitted to a Banjara Hills hospital on October 27, 2021
By Sistla Dakshina Murthy
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Hyderabad: Hyderabad District Consumer Commission-I has directed Akshara Medical and Research Centre (also known as Ankura Hospital) and a consulting gynecologist to jointly pay ₹30 lakh as compensation to the husband of a woman who died after an avoidable surgical procedure.
The commission also awarded ₹20,000 towards litigation costs.
Patient admitted for Anaemia, underwent major surgery
The complainant, G. Nageswara Rao from Karthikeya Nagar in Nacharam, stated that his wife, Lakshminarasamma, who was suffering from anaemia and related health issues, was admitted to the hospital in Banjara Hills on October 27, 2021.
After examination, the attending doctor recommended a total laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The patient was administered one unit of PRBC (packed red blood cells) transfusion the same night.
Post-surgery complications turn fatal
The surgery was conducted the following day. However, the patient’s condition deteriorated later that night as her blood pressure and platelet count dropped significantly, leading to kidney failure.
The commission noted that the hospital failed to control postoperative bleeding in time, which resulted in a sharp fall in blood pressure. With no dialysis facility available at the hospital, the patient was shifted to another private hospital in Jubilee Hills on October 29 at around 5:30 am.
Despite being placed on a ventilator, she could not be revived.
Allegations of medical negligence
The complainant alleged that:
The surgery was conducted during menstruation despite no medical emergency
Doctors failed to detect and control internal bleeding in time
The hospital lacked critical facilities such as dialysis and a CT scan
He approached the consumer commission, claiming that negligence led to his wife’s death.
Hospital’s defence rejected
In response, the hospital and gynaecologist argued that:
The patient had a history of prolonged bleeding and severe anaemia
Surgery was advised after proper counselling
The death was due to Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), leading to multi-organ failure.
The patient was referred to another hospital in time.
However, the commission rejected these claims, stating that SIRS does not occur without infection, contradicting the hospital’s defence.
Commission finds fault in medical decision.
After examining evidence and arguments, the commission concluded that:
Performing surgery during menstruation without an emergency was inappropriate.
The patient’s anaemic condition made surgery risky.
There was a delay in addressing post-surgical complications.
The commission held both the hospital and the doctor accountable for medical negligence.
Order and timeline
The commission ordered the respondents to:
Pay ₹30 lakh compensation jointly
Pay ₹20,000 towards legal expenses
Implement the order within 45 days
