Patient who lost eyesight to get Rs 14 lakh as damage

Principal District Judge (Jammu) Jang Bahadur Singh Jamwal yesterday directed the government to pay Rs 14.84 lakh as damage to the victim Dawarka Nath Raina, who had alleged that he lost his vision during treatment due to wrong treatment by doctors at the Chest Diseases Hospital of the GMC here.

The court also ordered to pay the amount with an interest at the rate of 7.5 per cent per annum from the date of filing of the suit.

Raina, who had sought Rs 16,08,000 as damage, had approached the hospital after some chest complications, where he was prescribed anti-tuberculosis treatment.

In his complaint, he alleged that following medication, he experienced severe pain in chest and head with dizziness, nausea and vomiting like sensation.

Due to blurring of the vision, his case was referred to the AIIMS in Delhi, where it was found that Raina had suffered blindness due to toxic effect of the drug administered to him as per the prescription of hospital doctors here.

An amount of Rs one lakh was granted to the petitioner for the expenses incurred by him on medicines and hospitalisation, the doctor said.

Since the petitioner became permanently disabled, a sum of around Rs 5 lakh was ordered for the petitioner for keeping an attendant.