Delhi Govt, GTB, docs to pay over Rs 5 lakh compensation

A consumer forum has directed the Delhi government, GTB Hospital and its two doctors to pay over Rs 5 lakh to the kin of a 56-year-old man, who died of oral cancer due to the doctors' "negligence" in providing proper and timely treatment.
The East District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in Delhi, presided over by N K Goel, directed the government, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and its two doctors to pay Rs 5.26 lakh to the family members of Jaipal Singh who died in 2007 due to lack of proper treatment.
"Who was responsible for his (Singh's) ultimate death? For whose negligence did he die? The facts of the case speak loudly that it was the two doctors who did not give proper care and treatment to the deceased. From the facts and circumstances of this particular case there is every reason to believe that there was utter lack of care and diligence on the part of the two doctors in giving proper medical care and treatment to the deceased," the forum said.

Negligence on part of the two doctors and their employers - GTB Hospital and the Delhi government - in providing proper medical treatment led to the death of Singh, said the forum, also comprising its members Asha Kumar and Nishant Ahmad Alvi.
The forum also said the hospital and its two doctors had failed to discharge the burden of proving that there was no lack of care and diligence, and that they had provided the best treatment to the victim by exercising by their prudence and reasonableness.
The forum passed the order on a complaint of Dilshad Garden resident Singh's wife Ramo Devi and their three children against the hospital, the two doctors and the Delhi government.