No ambulance, 5-hour delay in critical patient’s transfer: Hospital to pay Rs 15 lakh

The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered a hospital to pay Rs 15.50 lakh in compensation for allegedly failing to arrange a properly equipped ambulance and doctor for a critically ill patient during his transfer to another hospital. The man, who suffers from Rheumatic Heart Disease and has had two valve replacements, developed a blood clot that blocked his artificial heart valve, causing him to face vocal loss, memory loss, and other disabilities.

He claims that he was not informed about the risks associated with the treatment and that the hospital did not provide an ambulance for his transfer. The commission noted that providing basic emergency facilities, including an appropriately equipped ambulance, is not an optional service and that any failure in this regard during an emergency compromises the trust patients place in a medical institution.

The hospital maintains that there was no medical negligence, and all possible complications were explained to the patient and his family. However, the commission stated that the hospital failed to provide the ambulance service, which resulted in wasting precious time when the patient was in a critically vulnerable condition.