Patients and their attendants often blame healthcare providers for an undesirable outcome of a procedure. Recording patient’s condition at the time of admission, and taking pictures whenever relevant or applicable is one way to ensure that those allegations are kept at bay, as this case demonstrates.

The patient visited his doctor with complains of abdominal pain. A USG was performed which reported retrocecal appendicitis. The doctor was not satisfied with the finding and advised yet another USG which indicated appendicitis.

The patient experienced severe headache and visited a premier national hospital where CT scan reported a well-defined 2.5cm x 2cm round lesion in the intraconal compartment of left eye. The doctor advised surgery but patient refused for some personal reasons.

The father of a young patient sued a hospital on basis of an inference of negligence drawn by another hospital where the patient was taken.

This is not an instance of medical negligence or medical error. However it still is as relevant, if not more, for doctors.

It is patient’s / attendants’ right to seek Discharge Against Medical Advice (DAMA). It is also the hospital’s responsibility to give such a discharge but only after making appropriate noting in the medical records and discharge card. Not doing so can draw adverse inference from courts, as this case shows.

A young girl sustained burn injuries on her right hand and was rushed to the hospital by her father. She remained admitted for two days during which the condition of her hand worsened – the burnt part of the hand started turning black.