In a landmark ruling, the Nalgonda District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) has directed Kamineni Hospital, Narketpally, to pay Rs 1 crore as compensation to the family of a woman who died during childbirth due to medical negligence. The commission found that doctors at the hospital failed to exercise adequate care during and after surgery, which led to the death of 23-year-old Asnala Swathi in 2018.
The bench held both the hospital management and the treating doctors responsible. As part of the order, Rs 90 lakh is to be deposited in the name of Swathi’s minor son, Asnala Devansh Shaurya, in a nationalised bank, while Rs 10 lakh should be paid to her father and GPA holder, Sapidi Satyanarayana. Additionally, the hospital was fined Rs 1 lakh, which must also be paid to the family. The commission directed the hospital to clear the compensation within a month, failing which it would attract 9% annual interest until the full payment is made.
Advocate Merereddy Narasimha Reddy told TNIE, “Swathi, a resident of Aregudem village in Chityala mandal, Nalgonda district, was admitted to Kamineni Hospital on July 13, 2018, for delivery after a series of prenatal check-ups. Doctors advised a caesarean section and administered anaesthesia. Though she delivered a healthy baby boy, Swathi failed to regain consciousness after the surgery. When questioned, the doctors told her family that the dose of anaesthesia might not have been sufficient and that she would recover soon.”
As hours passed without any improvement, Swathi’s family grew alarmed and informed village elders, who rushed to the hospital. She was later shifted to the ICU, but by the next morning, her condition had worsened. At around 10.45 am on July 14, doctors declared her dead. The family alleged that excessive anaesthesia, poor monitoring and delayed emergency response were the reasons for her death.
Swathi’s husband, Asnala Kranthi Kumar, her infant son and her father approached the Nalgonda DCDRC seeking justice. They filed a complaint against the hospital management and four doctors - Dr Madhavi, Dr Sunita Mishra, Dr.Prasad and Dr Maruthi - accusing them of gross negligence and lack of post-operative care. “After examining medical reports, witness statements, and hospital records, the commission concluded that the doctors were negligent and that the hospital was vicariously liable for Swathi’s death,” Narasimha Reddy added.
The DCDRC pointed out several discrepancies in the hospital’s documentation. It rejected the hospital’s claim that the death was caused by rare medical complications and held that the lack of timely action and proper care amounted to medical negligence.