The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Satguru Pratap Singh Apollo Hospitals in Ludhiana, along with two of its doctors, to pay Rs 15 lakh in compensation to a woman who suffered paralysis following delays in addressing her post-operative complications.
A bench comprising Commission President Justice A P Sahi and member Bharat Kumar Pandya delivered the judgment on August 4 in response to a consumer complaint filed by Deepak Bansal and his wife, Kiran Bala. The commission held the medical facility and two treating physicians accountable for failing to urgently evaluate and monitor the 36-year-old patient when she developed severe lower-body pain and numbness following a spinal procedure.
Financial Liability And Payment Terms
The commission directed the hospital to bear 90 percent of the Rs 15 lakh compensation award, while Dr. M Deepender Singh and Dr. Gaurav Kuthiala must each cover 5 percent. The total amount carries an annual interest rate of 6 percent, calculated from the date the complaint was originally filed.
The hospital was also ordered to pay Rs 25,000 to cover litigation costs. All payments must be completed by October 4. If the hospital and doctors fail to meet the deadline, the interest rate on the outstanding balance will rise to 9 percent annually from October 4 onward.
While the complainants had sought Rs 2 crore in damages, the bench ruled the claim excessive, stating that the evidence on record failed to establish a direct financial or causal link between the amount requested and the patient’s losses or distress.
Commission Findings On Medical Care
In its ruling, the commission emphasized that it did not find evidence of direct surgical negligence or procedural errors. The panel observed that the initial endoscopic surgery and the subsequent placement of a spinal drain complied with standard medical protocols.
Instead, the commission established liability based on a collective lack of urgency in responding to the patient’s deteriorating condition. The bench noted that medical staff failed to adequately prepare for nighttime monitoring, delayed critical diagnostic scans, and maintained unclear doctor notes after the procedure. It stated that hospitals remain accountable for service deficiencies when they fail to promptly investigate warning signs, delay specialist consultations, or fail to closely monitor a deteriorating patient.
Chronology Of Patient Treatment
The case originated on September 17, 2011, when Kiran Bala was admitted to the hospital after noticing fluid leaking from her nose, diagnosed as CSF rhinorrhoea. Following an initial endoscopic repair, the leak recurred, leading doctors to insert a lumbar drain to assist treatment.
On the evening of September 23, a recovery note recorded persistent lower-limb discomfort and contained an instruction from Dr. Kuthiala to notify Dr. Singh. Although hospital administration claimed Dr. Singh examined the patient around 9:00 p.m., the commission noted that official medical records contained no documentation of any visit, advice, or prescribed tests.
By the morning of September 24, the patient’s lower-limb motor function had dropped to one out of five. An MRI ordered at 10:00 a.m. was performed at 1:00 p.m., with the report received at 4:30 p.m. indicating spinal thoracic cord myelitis with arachnoid enhancement. Her weakness subsequently progressed to complete paraplegia, including loss of bladder and bowel control.
Exoneration Of Consulting Physician
The commission cleared a third doctor named in the complaint, Dr. Siddharth Garg, of all liability. The panel determined that Dr. Garg acted promptly, appropriately, and effectively once his expert advice was requested.
