'Surgeon did not show urgency'

Rahul Chhabra / TNN / Mar 14, 2007, 03:08 IST

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While Apollo hospital and a consultant eye surgeon have been brought to task by the National Consumer Commission, their negligence has caused complainant H S Sharma lose his right eye.

NEW DELHI: While Apollo hospital and a consultant eye surgeon have been brought to task by the National Consumer Commission, their negligence has caused complainant H S Sharma lose his right eye.
In his complaint, Sharma said he experienced loss of vision in the operated eye on the 14th day after surgery (conducted on June 19 1997) and immediately called up the surgeon who advised, on telephone, to double the dosage of drugs.
In the evening, Sharma called the doctor up again and complained of no improvement. He alleged the surgeon showed no urgency and told him to take an appointment so that he could examine him after two days.
Dr Sethi and Apollo Hospital denied these allegations and said when Sharma reported deterioration in eyesight on phone; he was advised to report to the hospital immediately.

It was his own decision to come after three days as he had cited problems of commuting, they said.
Reacting to the case, Dr Balbir Singh, consultant cardiologist Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre said the proliferation of mobile phones had complicated post-operative care.
"Often patients feel bypassing the existing system in a hospital and talking to the doctor on phone may be the best way to sort things out. But going to the emergency means a doctor looks at the patient and gets back to the consultant. If then the consultant does not respond, that is negligence. How can any doctor be expected to decide on the course of treatment over phone?" he asked.
A section of city doctors put the ball back into the patient's court.
"Post-operative complications are patient-specific. Often they themselves don't turn up — if the patient lost his eye just two days after he had spoken to the doctor, may be he would have done so any way. Post-operative complications should not be confused with negligence."

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