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"Supreme Court Orders Surgeon to Compensate Patient ₹3.5 Lakh for Post-Cataract Surgery Infection"

Created on: 2025-03-06 13:17:11
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Background - Bherulal, the complainant, underwent a cataract surgery by Dr. Madhusudan. Post-surgery, he developed severe pain, oozing from the eye, and eventually complete vision loss. Multiple specialists later diagnosed him with endophthalmitis (a severe infection).

Supreme Court’s Findings:

  1. The doctor failed to properly diagnose and treat the infection despite multiple complaints from the patient
  2. No credible evidence proved the patient changed his dressing; the doctor’s records were suspiciously produced late and lacked reliabilit
  3. Expert opinion showed that oozing pus indicated serious infection needing urgent care, which the doctor neglected.
  4. The Supreme Court restored the State Commission’s decision, awarded ₹3.5 lakh compensation to Bherulal’s legal heirs, and imposed 12% interest if unpaid within two months

In short: The doctor was held negligent for failing to diagnose and treat a post-surgery infection, leading to total vision loss.

Editorial

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