In Brief
A 56-year-old woman admitted to a private hospital with dengue fever died after cardiac arrest on the same day. The husband sued for medical negligence and compensation. The lower consumer court found the hospital liable for failure to regularly monitor blood parameters during the critical hours, awarding ₹6 lakhs. The appellate court reversed this. The Supreme Court reinstated the finding of negligence, holding that the hospital breached its duty by not monitoring blood parameters as required by WHO and national guidelines despite administering intravenous fluids. The Court enhanced compensation to ₹15 lakhs with 9% interest, emphasizing that even non-working spouses' contributions have measurable economic value.
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