Tirupur, Tamil Nadu: A private hospital has been ordered by the district consumer dispute resolution commission to compensate a woman for medical malpractice in the amount of Rs. 7 lakhs with 8% interest as soon as possible.

The patient, Mrs Sulochana M, 26, of Panikampatti, had given birth to an underweight baby girl at the Prime Medical Centre in July 2020. In August, she developed abdominal pain and was rushed to the same hospital, where doctors performed the surgery. However, the pain did not subside and she was referred to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). The doctors in CMCH found a piece of cotton inside her uterus.

Subsequently, Sulochana filed a petition at the district consumer disputes redressal commission demanding compensation of 50,000 from the private hospital management for causing mental and physical agony.

Mrs S Deepa, president of the commission, and members Mr S Baskar and V. Rajendran, found the surgeons guilty of leaving a foreign object inside the woman’s uterus during the surgery and ordered the hospital to pay compensation.