Telangana Human Rights Commission orders Rs 8 lakh relief and job for family after botched surgery death

The Telangana State Human Rights Commission held the State government responsible for a woman’s death following a botched tubectomy at a Wanaparthy government hospital, ordering Rs 8 lakh additional compensation and government employment for her husband.

Hyderabad: In a major ruling on medical accountability, the Telangana State Human Rights Commission (TGHRC) has held the State Government liable for the death of a young woman following a botched tubectomy.

The Commission, led by Justice Shameem Akther, has recommended an additional compensation of Rs 8 lakh to the family of the deceased, M Lalitha, along with a directive to provide government employment to her surviving husband.

---

The case (H.R.C. No. 2355 of 2018) stems from a surgery performed at a Government Community Health Centre in Wanaparthy District. While authorities initially claimed the death resulted from unavoidable physiological complications, the Commission’s investigation revealed a far more tragic reality.

The TGHRC found that an ileal perforation, a hole in the small intestine, occurred during the surgery. This injury went undetected for a critical period, leading to septic peritonitis and ultimate cardio-pulmonary arrest.

The Commission sharply criticized the inadequacy of a prior Rs 2 lakh compensation.

The Commission said that Lalitha is survived by two minor children and a husband with a disability. Justice Akther emphasized that the state must ensure the family can live with dignity.

“The earlier payment was wholly inadequate given the gravity of the negligence and the family’s circumstances,” the order stated.

In addition to monetary relief of Rs lakh, the Commission has directed the State government to provide livelihood support by providing suitable government employment for the victim’s husband.