Hospital asked to pay ₹1 cr. to family of UoH scholar who died due to alleged medical negligence

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Hyderabad has ordered Citizens Speciality Hospital in Nallagandla, along with its consultant neurologist Aparna Vijay Kumar, to pay ₹1 crore in compensation to the family of Surya Pratap Bharati, a 30-year-old Ph.D scholar from the University of Hyderabad who passed away in 2020.

Surya, who hailed from a financially struggling family in Mau district, Uttar Pradesh, suffered a brain stroke on August 17, 2020, and was admitted to Citizens Hospital. The hospital initially reported him as COVID-19 positive and suggested his transfer to a dedicated COVID facility. On August 19, he was shifted to Continental Hospital, where tests later revealed he was not infected with COVID-19.

Surya was declared brain dead and passed away on August 21. His friends, seeking legal representation, approached advocate Rajasri Manche, and the case was handled pro bono. The Commission recently ruled that the hospital and doctor were negligent in their service and ordered the payment of ₹1 crore to Surya's parents. This is the highest compensation amount ever awarded by a district consumer forum, according to the legal counsel.