THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A private hospital and two doctors have been ordered to pay compensation of Rs 50 lakh and eight per cent interest for negligence in maternity treatment. The order belongs to the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission bench comprising Judicial Member D. Ajith Kumar and Member Radhakrishnan Nair. 80 lakhs including interest should be paid.

The petitioners were Jayesh and his wife Rashmi Das, natives of the medical college. Luke Hospital, a private hospital in Pathanamthitta, doctors Kenny A. Thomas and Preeta Biju are the opposing parties. In July 2014, the petitioner was brought to the hospital for maternity treatment. She gave birth to a baby boy on 10 January 2015. The child had no growth below the waist. The petitioners alleged that this was a serious failure on the part of the hospital authorities. It was against this that the petitioners approached the consumer forum through CS Raj Mohan demanding a compensation of Rs 50 lakhs. The court rejected all the arguments of the hospital. The hospoital must pay 30 lakhs for the child and 20 lakhs for the parents. 10,000 should also be paid as cost of the case.