TGHRC
The Commission suggested paying an additional ₹8 lakh as compensation and also advised that the husband be provided with suitable employment to help the family live with dignity.
Holding the Telangana government responsible for medical negligence, Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC) Chairperson Dr Justice Shameem Akhtar ruled on the death of M. Lalitha, who passed away after undergoing a tubectomy surgery at a government Community Health Centre in Wanaparthy district on July 9, 2017. The Commission found that a perforation in the intestine during surgery, along with a delay in detecting it, led to septic peritonitis and cardiopulmonary arrest. It rejected the claim that the death was due only to physical complications.
Noting that the earlier compensation of ₹2 lakh was completely inadequate—especially considering that the deceased woman’s husband is disabled and the couple had two minor children—the Commission recommended an additional ₹8 lakh as compensation. It also advised that the husband be given appropriate employment so the family could sustain itself with dignity.
In the complaint filed on July 10, 2017, the complainant stated that an ASHA worker from the village, Chandrakala, had taken Lalitha (his sister-in-law) to a government hospital and admitted her for a tubectomy surgery without the family’s consent.
The day after the operation, Lalitha developed abdominal swelling and began experiencing discomfort. On noticing the swelling, the doctor who had performed the tubectomy referred her to the government hospital in Wanaparthy. From there, she was referred to Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad, where she died during treatment on July 9, 2017.
The complainant further alleged that despite lodging complaints with the police and the Wanaparthy district collector, no action was taken. Highlighting that Lalitha left behind two minor children, the complainant urged the Commission to take action against those responsible for her death.
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