In Brief
A widow challenged the hospital's treatment and discharge of his wife, who died shortly after from complications. The State Consumer Commission found the hospital liable for premature discharge despite elevated infection markers. The Supreme Court upheld the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission's reversal, finding no negligence. The doctor's decision to prescribe oral antibiotics (when IV access failed due to blocked veins from prior chemotherapy) was a reasonable medical judgment. The patient was stable at discharge with appropriate aftercare prescribed. The death resulted from multiple factors including pre-existing cancers and diabetes, not solely attributable to the hospital's care.
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