In Brief
A man claimed medical negligence caused his wife's death. The hospital had treated her for infection and discharged her after three days when her condition appeared stable. She later died of septic shock from multiple organ failure. The State Consumer Commission awarded compensation, but India's highest consumer court (NCDRC) reversed this, finding no negligence. The Supreme Court upheld this decision, holding that doctors cannot be held liable for poor outcomes if they exercise reasonable professional skill and follow accepted medical practice. The doctor's choice to give oral antibiotics instead of intravenous (because the patient's veins were blocked) was reasonable. The patient's death resulted from multiple factors including her diabetes and cancer, not solely from the hospital's care."
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