NHRC notice to Haryana government, DGP over surgery in patient's 'wrong knee'

NHRC issues notice to Haryana govt over wrong knee surgery, charges despite Ayushman Bharat, seeks detailed report.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Haryana government and the State's Director-General of Police (DGP) over reports that a patient was allegedly operated on his left knee, instead of the right at a hospital in Panipat.

In a statement issued on June 20, the NHRC observed that according to a media report, the patient was also charged by the hospital despite being a beneficiary of Ayushman-Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

The NHRC has taken "suo motu cognisance of a media report that a patient was wrongly operated upon his left knee, instead of the injured right knee at a hospital in Panipat".

Reportedly, when the family members of the patient protested, the doctors immediately conducted surgery on the other knee but the patient is unable to walk. “The hospital charged a sum of ₹8,000 from him and also took away his Ayushman Bharat card,” the statement said.

The Commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raises serious issues of "medical negligence causing violation of the rights to life and health of the victim".

Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of Haryana, seeking detailed report within one week. “It should include details about the action taken against the guilty, and compensation, if any, provided to the patient,” it said.

The NHRC said, “The authorities who have failed to do their duty to supervise and keep vigil on such private hospitals cannot escape their liability, where the patients are being exploited and subjected to cruelty as well as being treated in an inhuman manner.” According to the media report, the victim had lost his family in an accident in 2006, and since then, he has been earning his livelihood by working as a labourer. “His right knee had been injured when he fell while cleaning his house,” the statement said.