Hospital ordered to pay Rs 1 L for wrong blood transfusion in Telangana

The consumer commission held the hospital guilty of medical negligence after an accident victim was given blood based on an incorrect blood group test.

Hyderabad: The Khammam District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has pulled up a private hospital for medical negligence after doctors allegedly identified a road accident victim’s blood group incorrectly, leading to serious health complications.

The commission directed the management of Jayabharathi Diagnostics and Multi-Speciality Hospital to pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation to the victim and an additional Rs 25,000 towards litigation costs.

According to the complaint, Kotturi Shantadevi, a resident of Dummugudem village in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, suffered severe injuries in a road accident in January 2023 and was admitted to the hospital in Bhadrachalam for treatment.

During treatment, the hospital allegedly conducted medical tests and identified her blood group as A-positive. Based on the diagnosis, blood of the same group was transfused to the patient.

However, her condition deteriorated after the transfusion, prompting her family to shift her to a private hospital in Khammam. Doctors there conducted fresh tests and found that her actual blood group was O-positive.

The patient reportedly underwent multiple dialysis sessions before doctors were able to stabilise her condition and save her life.

Alleging negligence by the Bhadrachalam hospital, the victim approached the district consumer commission seeking action against the management.

After examining the evidence and hearing arguments from both sides, Commission President (FAC) Vadlamannati Lalitha and member Addepalli Madhavilatha held the hospital responsible for medical negligence and ordered it to compensate the victim.