In a significant ruling, the Visakhapatnam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II has ordered a private eye institute, its director, and two ophthalmologists to pay ₹15 lakh in compensation to a young man who lost vision in his left eye due to medical negligence. The victim, identified as M Ravi Teja, a resident of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, was injured in a pellet gun accident that eventually led to a medical mishap.
On February 19, 2019, Teja was chatting with friends when another friend, bNK Ravi, was playing with an air rifle. An unfortunate accident occurred when a pellet from the rifle struck Teja’s left eye, causing a severe bleeding injury.
According to Teja's advocate, J Prithvi Raj, the young man was first rushed to Visakha Eye Hospital in Visakhapatnam for treatment. However, the medical team at the hospital expressed their inability to treat Teja, citing inadequate equipment. The hospital referred him to the more specialized LV Prasad Eye Institute in Visakhapatnam for advanced care.
Upon arrival at LV Prasad Eye Institute, Teja was attended by Dr Keerthi B, who instructed the staff to examine the extent of the injury. Dr Annapoorna, another ophthalmologist, later diagnosed the boy's left eye and discovered a significant vision defect due to the pellet wound. The director of the institute, Dr Merle Fernandes, oversaw the medico-legal aspects of the case. However, the medical team deferred conducting a B Scan and instead prescribed Ciplox 500 mg tablets.
The institute performed a primary globe integrity surgery on Teja’s injured eye on February 20, 2019, and discharged him the following day. However, when Teja noticed no improvement in his vision, he sought further treatment at Aravind Eye Institute in Coimbatore. A CT scan of his brain and orbits revealed that a fragment of the pellet remained lodged in his left eye, despite the earlier surgery.
Teja continued seeking treatment at various hospitals, undergoing another surgery to remove the remaining pellet fragment and later undergoing oculoplasty. However, despite the additional procedures, his vision could not be restored. Frustrated by the outcome, Teja filed a petition with the Visakhapatnam consumer disputes commission, holding LV Prasad Eye Institute, its director, and the two treating doctors accountable for medical negligence.
After reviewing the case, the commission ruled in Teja's favor, ordering the institute and its staff to compensate him with ₹15 lakh for the vision loss and the impact it had on his life.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)