Justice Prevails: Clinics Fined Rs 10 Lakh for Misdiagnosing Toddler's Tumour

In a powerful ruling underscoring the critical importance of diligent medical care, two private clinics in Chandigarh have been ordered to pay a hefty compensation of Rs 10 lakh for their grave failure to diagnose a malignant tumour in a then three-year-old child. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission found Dr.

Jatinder Singh of J.S. Multi-speciality Clinic and Dr. Ashish Arora of Arora Clinic guilty of medical negligence, bringing a measure of justice to a family that endured immense suffering.

The ordeal for Ankush (name changed), who was merely three years old in 2017, began with seemingly innocuous symptoms: fever, stomach ache, and a distressing inability to stand.

His worried parents first sought help from Dr. Jatinder Singh at J.S. Multi-speciality Clinic in Sector 20-D, Chandigarh. Tragically, Dr. Singh merely prescribed medication for stomach ache, completely overlooking the underlying, life-threatening condition.

As Ankush's condition worsened, his parents desperately turned to Arora Clinic in Sector 20-C, consulting Dr.

Ashish Arora. Regrettably, the second opinion mirrored the first; Dr. Arora also dismissed the symptoms as a routine stomach ailment and fever, once again failing to conduct any crucial diagnostic tests that could have revealed the true nature of the child's rapidly deteriorating health.

It was only after these two disheartening encounters that the parents, facing a child whose health was spiraling, took Ankush to GMCH-32.

There, a vigilant doctor immediately recognized the severity of the situation and swiftly referred them to the Advanced Paediatric Centre at PGI. This timely intervention proved to be a pivotal moment. At PGI, comprehensive examinations and tests uncovered a large, ominous lump in Ankush's abdomen. The devastating diagnosis followed: Neuroblastoma, a malignant tumour that required immediate and aggressive treatment.

The revelation plunged the family into a harrowing journey of medical battles.

Young Ankush endured multiple complex surgeries, grueling cycles of chemotherapy, and intensive radiation therapy. The misdiagnosis by the initial clinics had cost precious time, allowing the tumour to progress and compounding the challenges of his treatment. By the time the complaint was filed in 2018, the child, then aged five years old, had already developed permanent disabilities, a stark consequence of the delayed diagnosis and prolonged illness.

In its detailed judgment, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission unequivocally stated that both Dr.

Jatinder Singh and Dr. Ashish Arora failed in their professional duty to exercise reasonable care and skill. The commission highlighted that the doctors’ inability to accurately diagnose the tumour and their oversight in recommending essential tests constituted clear medical negligence. The ruling emphasized the profound mental agony and financial burden inflicted upon Ankush’s parents, who not only faced the trauma of their child’s severe illness but also the significant costs of his extensive treatment.

Beyond the Rs 10 lakh compensation, the clinics were also ordered to pay Rs 25,000 to cover the litigation costs incurred by the distressed family.

This landmark decision serves as a powerful reminder to medical practitioners about their unwavering responsibility towards patient care and the severe repercussions of negligence, particularly when a child's life and future are at stake. For Ankush's family, the ruling offers a semblance of justice, acknowledging their arduous fight and validating their pursuit of accountability.