GUWAHATI, March 22 - In an important judgment, the Gauhati High Court today directed the State respondents to pay a compensation of Rs 3.5 lakh under the public law domain to each of the five victims who lost the vision in one eye following botched-up surgeries at the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) in 2015.
The names of the victims are Garga Ram Kalita, Dharmesher Ramchiary, Tarini Kanta Medhi, Rup Sundari Mondol and Sabitri Devi. They all hail from Kamrup (Metro).
Representing the victims, advocates Bijon Mahajan and Arshad Choudhury had pressed for pecuniary aid to the underprivileged victims who lost the vision in one eye due to the surgery done to treat cataract, and also cited gross negligence on the part of the respondents while treating an important organ of the human body.
The victims, it needs mention, were admitted on November 27, 2015 at the MMCH and were operated upon on that very day. Although discharged on November 28 from the hospital, they were again asked to report on November 30 for a check-up.
The patients were then rushed to the Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya. However, none of the attendants or family members was allowed to accompany the patients. It was only on December 2 that the hospital authorities revealed that an eye from each of the victims has been removed.
The Court, after hearing both the sides, directed the State Government to pay the compensation of Rs 3.5 lakh to each of the victims.
The State Government was represented by Additional Advocate General of Assam Devajit Saikia.
