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:
- The doctor failed to properly diagnose and treat the infection despite multiple complaints from the patient
- No credible evidence proved the patient changed his dressing; the doctor’s records were suspiciously produced late and lacked reliabilit
- Expert opinion showed that oozing pus indicated serious infection needing urgent care, which the doctor neglected.
- 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.