ITANAGAR, 10 May: The Gauhati High Court has directed the Arunachal Pradesh government to pay Rs 2.5 lakh compensation to the family of a woman who died due to medical negligence and lack of blood bank at the district hospital in Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district.
The court of Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak held the state’s health department responsible for the death of Miti Mega, who gave birth to a baby boy at the hospital in 2015, but died due to profuse bleeding and unavailability of blood.
Miti Mega’s mother-in-law, Junaki Mega, had filed a petition in the Gauhati High Court,
seeking justice for her daughter-in-law’s death.
“The petitioner submitted that, had there been a blood bank in the district hospital at Roing and a proper and trained emergency medical unit/staff in the said hospital, the life of her daughter-in-law could have been saved by transfusing blood to her,” the court order read.
The petitioner’s daughter-in-law had been suffering from severe anaemia, and the court observed that the hospital’s failure to provide timely medical facilities, including blood transfusion, led to her death.
Miti Mega had undergone antenatal check-ups in Khonsa in Tirap district and later at the district hospital in Roing.
The court observed that the health department’s failure to provide proper medical facilities was a critical factor in Miti Mega’s death.
The court emphasised that it is the bounden duty of the state authorities to provide proper and necessary medical facilities to citizens.
“Had there been a blood bank in the district hospital at Roing, blood could have been transfused to the daughter-in-law of the petitioner at the time of her dire requirement, but due to non-availability of a blood bank in the said government hospital, she could not be provided with blood that was required for sustaining her life,” the court observed.
“On hearing the parties, on perusal of the affidavits of the respondents, considering the entire aspects of the matter and for the reasons above, this court is of the opinion that the respondents in the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Arunachal Pradesh are responsible for the death of the daughter-in-law of the petitioner,” the court ruled.
The court directed the commissioner and the secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department to deposit the compensation amount in a nationalised bank in the name of the minor son of the deceased. The court also directed that the amount be kept in a fixed deposit until the minor son attains major age.
On 10 July, 2015, Miti Mega gave birth to a baby boy at the district hospital in Roing. After delivering the baby, she started bleeding profusely and unfortunately passed away due to severe anaemia and postpartum haemorrhage.
Miti Mega’s family had alleged that the hospital’s negligence and lack of proper medical facilities contributed to her death. They claimed that the hospital didn’t have a blood bank, and the medical staff failed to provide timely and adequate care.
The petitioner had alleged that the hospital’s negligence and lack of infrastructure led to the death of her daughter-in-law.
The petitioner sought compensation and demanded that the hospital take steps to improve its facilities to prevent such incidents in the future.
