Hassan: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh on a city-based radiologist, Dr. KV Sujatha, for committing malpractice by providing a false scan report of a pregnant woman.
Pavithra BR, a resident of Hallikoppalu village in Aluru taluk, was undergoing prenatal treatment at Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwar Hospital. Her doctor, Dr. Pratima Adarsh, recommended a prenatal anomaly scan, which was conducted by Dr. Sujatha in K.R. Puram on March 15, 2023. The scan report falsely indicated that there were no abnormalities, specifically mentioning that the baby did not have a cleft lip and that the eyes and nose were normal.
On July 19, 2023, Pavithra gave birth to a baby girl with a cleft lip, cleft palate, and underdeveloped nose. The severe congenital defects required immediate and lifelong medical treatment. Had the scan report been accurate, Pavithra would have had the option to consider an abortion. Consequently, she filed a complaint with the Hassan District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, seeking Rs50 lakh in compensation for the mental anguish, pain, and medical expenses incurred due to the false report.
The commission, chaired by Chanchala CM, along with members HV Mahadeva and Anupama R., ruled that Dr. Sujatha’s negligence led to the birth of a child with disabilities, a clear deficiency in service. The bench ordered Dr. Sujatha to pay Rs 30 lakh in compensation to Pavithra. Out of the total compensation, Rs 15 lakh is to be deposited in a nationalized bank as a fixed deposit in the child’s name until she turns 18, ensuring financial support for her future medical and other expenses through the interest earned. The remaining Rs 15 lakh is to be given to Pavithra for immediate medical expenses and compensation for mental distress.
Additionally, the bench awarded Rs 50,000 to Pavithra for litigation expenses and stipulated that the compensation must be paid within 45 days of the order. Failure to comply will result in an annual interest penalty of 10% on the total amount from June 11.
