Justice Madhavi Devi along with V.C. Sajjanar at FEHMICON and MLAGCON 2024.
Justice Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court on Sunday highlighted the importance of meticulous documentation by doctors while handling emergency medical cases.
Speaking at the FEHMICON and MLAGCON medical conference in Hyderabad, she urged healthcare professionals to leverage digital technology to ensure all necessary information is accurately recorded, keeping patient privacy in mind to avoid future legal complications.
Justice Madhavi said that the judiciary has established sufficient guidelines to protect doctors, and it is now up to medical practitioners to take necessary precautions to prevent litigation. She cited the Supreme Court’s judgment in Parmanand Katara vs. Union of India.
The conference, which hosted over 350 delegates from across India, aimed at clearing misunderstanding between patients and doctors and restore the reputation of medical profession.
Neeraj Nagpal, convenor and managing trustee of the Medico Legal Action Group (MLAG), noted a significant rise in medical negligence cases. “From just 113 cases of medical negligence decided by Indian courts in 1995, the number surged to 57,000 cases by 2023 … excluding those in the Supreme Court and high courts,” he reported.
Managing Director of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation V.C. Sajjanar suggested that Dr. Nagpal add retired police officers to the MLAG to facilitate a smoother police liaison in medico-legal cases.
Dr. Fehmida Banu, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at FehmiCare Hospital, expressed her gratitude to all participants and speakers for their contributions. She highlighted the conference’s role in strengthening the bond among healthcare professionals and addressing the medico-legal challenges. “This year’s focus on medico-legal issues was particularly relevant, given the complexities and challenges that healthcare professionals face today,” she remarked.
