The Adilabad District Consumer Commission has delivered a landmark verdict, ordering a hefty compensation of Rs 1 crore to a family due to severe medical negligence. The ruling was issued after doctors completely failed to detect during routine prenatal ultrasound scans that a baby would be born without eyes. Along with the massive compensation, the commission mandated the payment of a 12 percent interest rate from the date of the complaint, plus an additional Rs 34,000 to cover the family’s legal expenses.
The complaint was filed by Bhagyashree, a resident of Adilabad town, who underwent regular medical checkups and prenatal screenings at a local hospital throughout her pregnancy. Despite undergoing crucial diagnostic tests, specifically the Targeted Imaging for Fetal Anomalies (TIFFA) scan designed to detect physical defects, the medical staff provided reports assuring the parents that the fetus was perfectly healthy and growing normally. However, the family was left in profound shock when the baby was delivered via cesarean section on June 30, 2024, missing both eyes.
Desperate to restore their child’s vision, the distraught parents consulted various specialized hospitals across Hyderabad and Maharashtra, but all medical efforts proved futile. Realizing that this lifelong tragedy was a direct result of the doctors’ failure to identify a major physical anomaly in the scanning reports, the mother approached the consumer court. After reviewing the evidence, Commission President Jabez Samuel confirmed the glaring negligence, making this verdict a significant milestone for consumer rights and a strict reminder of the accountability expected from medical professionals.
