New Delhi, 22nd March, 2013
The Delhi Government has finally paid monetary relief to a woman victim of medical negligence which the Commission had been following with the concerned authorities since the year 2009. The Commission recommended rupees ten thousand as monetary relief to the victim. The Delhi Government has paid the amount to her and submitted a proof of payment to the Commission.

The Commission on the basis of facts and circumstances of the incident, had observed that prima-facie it was found that the patient was deprived of treatment by the doctor on duty at Delhi Government run Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital violating her human rights for which the Government of NCT of Delhi is responsible.

The complainant had alleged that a doctor on duty refused to admit the patient, suffering from serious ailment, in the emergency ward of DDU Hospital despite recommendation by Medical Superintendent of the Hospital. As a result she had to incur an expenditure of more than rupees three thousand for her treatment in a private hospital.

During the course of persistent notices by the Commission to the Delhi Government, the concerned authorities tried to deny the allegations on the basis of enquiry reports that the concerned junior resident doctor against whom the allegations were made did not remember any such incident. There was no clinical note or treatment record to prove the identity of the doctor. Moreover, if the patient is not satisfied by the treatment given by the junior resident doctor, she might have contacted senior doctor in the casualty. It was also held that the concerned doctor completed his tenure and was transferred from the emergency department.

The Commission held that there was nothing in the enquiry report that Dr. Punit and the patient were associated with the enquiry. In the circumstances, the findings could not be relied upon.

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