The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (Central) in Delhi has ordered a private nursing home in Daryaganj to pay ₹20 lakh in compensation to a 40-year-old woman for life-altering medical negligence.
The complainant, Samreen, suffered the permanent loss of her fallopian tube and lifelong infertility after a doctor failed to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy in July 2020. The Commission held the Family Health Care Centre vicariously liable for the treating doctor’s “casual approach” and misdiagnosis.
Despite high-risk pregnancy markers, the doctor allegedly prescribed medicines blindly, leading to an emergency life-saving surgery two months later that robbed the victim of her ability to conceive.
History of High Risk
The victim approached the Daryaganj nursing home after a positive home pregnancy test, bringing with her a sensitive medical history of spontaneous delivery of dead twin foetuses.
Despite this high-risk background, the treating physician, Dr Kuljit Kaur Gill, allegedly confirmed the pregnancy solely based on the patient’s home test without conducting independent clinical check-ups or ultrasounds.
For nearly a month, the patient complained of persistent pain, yet she was prescribed injections and medicines without the doctor ruling out complications like an ectopic pregnancy, a dangerous condition where the embryo develops outside the uterus.
Irreparable Loss
The situation reached a breaking point two months later when Samreen’s pain became unbearable, forcing her to consult a different hospital. There, doctors discovered a dead embryo and extensive internal damage that necessitated the removal of her fallopian tube to save her life.
In its ruling dated 18 December 2025, the bench, comprising President Inder Jeet Singh and Member Rashmi Bansal, stated that timely detection could have avoided permanent infertility.
The Commission noted that no amount of money could reduce the “lifelong pain and emotional suffering,” but awarded ₹20 lakh as a fair and proportionate penalty for the gravity of the injury.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This heart-wrenching case highlights a terrifying lack of empathy and professional diligence in our healthcare system, where a patient’s trust was met with a “blind” prescription of drugs.
Motherhood is a deeply personal and cherished aspiration for many, and to have it snatched away by a doctor’s casual attitude is an unforgivable breach of medical ethics.
While we welcome the consumer court’s decision to hold the institution accountable, this tragedy should prompt a wider discussion on the safety of private nursing homes and the mandatory protocols for high-risk pregnancies.
