Hyderabad: The Telangana State Consumer Redressal Commission has dismissed the appeal of a doctor at a hospital in Karimnagar accused of removing a patient’s kidney during surgery for kidney stones. The commission upheld the earlier ruling of the Karimnagar District Consumer Disputes Forum which had imposed a compensation of 6 lakh for medical negligence.
The complainant, Boosa Mallaiah of Kalvasrirampur village in Karimnagar district, was operated upon by Dr S Ram Gopal at Seva Sankalp Kidney Hospital in Nov 2004. Mallaiah had approached the hospital with severe stomach pain and after medical tests he was told he had kidney stones which needed to be removed.
Mallaiah deposited 6,000 for the surgery which was conducted the following day. However, post-surgery, his wife was informed that there were complications and Mallaiah’s condition required him to be transferred to Hyderabad. He was subsequently shifted to NIMS, Hyderabad, where he underwent another operation.
Later, Mallaiah developed stomach pain again and visited doctor Dr R Yakaiah at Venkateshwara Kidney Center who informed him that his right kidney was missing. Mallaiah filed a police complaint, leading to an FIR and chargesheet.
Dr Gopal claimed the patient had a large 29 mm kidney stone and due to excessive bleeding during the operation there was a life-threatening situation which required removal of right kidney.
However, the commission, after reviewing both sides, found several lapses in the doctor’s handling of the case. It questioned why nephrectomy (kidney removal) was performed when the surgery was for kidney stone removal.
Citing these points, the commission confirmed the earlier order of the Karimnagar District Consumer Commission.
