Chennai
The Chennai North District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered a hospital and a doctor to pay compensation after a 24-week-old premature baby lost all five fingers on his right hand due to gangrene. The commission directed them to pay ₹23.65 lakh towards treatment expenses, ₹10 lakh for the pain and suffering caused, and ₹10,000 as legal costs.
The commission found both the hospital and the gynaecologist guilty of medical negligence. It noted that the doctor carried out a cervical pessary procedure — inserting a silicone ring to support the cervix — without the mother’s consent and without proving it was an emergency.
The baby’s mother, who was undergoing fertility treatment, was 22 weeks pregnant when the procedure was performed. The commission stated that this premature and untested intervention caused complications, leading to the baby being born at just 24 weeks.
Soon after birth and during the transfer to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the infant began showing early signs of gangrene. Despite medical efforts, the gangrene worsened, and doctors had to amputate all five fingers of the baby’s right hand.
The commission concluded that the procedure was done without proper testing or urgent need, directly leading to the baby's premature birth and subsequent health issues. It held the hospital and the doctor responsible for not only the medical costs but also the trauma and suffering endured by the child and the family.
