VIRUDHUNAGAR: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Srivilliputhur imposed a fine of Rs 3.5 lakh on a doctor and a private hospital in Aruppukottai for operating the wrong ankle of a patient in 2021. President SJ Chakkkaravarthy and member M Muthulakshmi issued the verdict in a petition filed by S Kasivel, a resident of Chokkalingapuram, against doctor M Sampathkumar and his wife, the owner of a private hospital in Aruppukottai.
In 2019, Kasivel consulted the doctor regarding the pain in his left leg's ankle and subsequent difficulties in walking, and he was given injections and tablets for the problem. As the pain did not subside, he visited another doctor in Madurai, and after an MRI scan at a multi-speciality hospital in Chennai, he was directed to undergo surgery. Kasivel then approached Sampathkumar for the surgery in November 2020. However, Sampath Kumar performed surgery on the right leg's ankle instead of the left.
Observing the medical negligence and mistake made by the doctor, the commission pointed out that the surgery was performed without carrying out any required medical check-ups and scans. The panel directed the respondents to pay Rs 3 lakh to the petitioner for causing mental agony, physical health issues, and financial loss, and slapped Rs 5,000 as litigation expenses.