Hyderabad's Star Hospital Fined ₹15 Lakh for Medical Negligence in Patient Death Case
Hyderabad-based Star Hospitals has been penalised ₹15 lakh after a consumer court found it guilty of medical negligence that resulted in a patient’s death in 2024.
The Star Hospitals in Banjara Hills was pulled up by the Rangareddy District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission following a complaint filed by the family of Manikumar, who died after undergoing treatment at the facility.
According to the case records, Manikumar was admitted to the hospital after complaining of general weakness. Preliminary investigations indicated low haemoglobin levels, following which doctors advised a blood transfusion. The family stated that two units of blood were administered over two days, but alleged that the discharge summary recorded only one unit, raising concerns over documentation and treatment accuracy.
The complainants further alleged that doctors failed to effectively control the patient’s diarrhoea during his hospital stay. Four days after admission, Manikumar reportedly suffered a heart attack. The family claimed there was a delay in administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and that he was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) only after his condition worsened.
They also accused the hospital of wrongly diagnosing Manikumar with a liver infection and demanding an additional ₹1.5 lakh for treatment. As his health continued to deteriorate, he was shifted to Gandhi Hospital and later moved to another private hospital, where he died on August 16, 2024.
Star Hospitals denied the allegations, stating that the patient had a history of alcoholism and pre-existing liver problems. The hospital maintained that CPR was administered promptly after Manikumar was shifted to the ICU.
However, after examining the medical records and submissions from both sides, the consumer commission held the hospital responsible for deficiency in service. In addition to the ₹15 lakh compensation, the commission directed the hospital to refund ₹2.28 lakh to the deceased’s family with nine per cent interest, and pay ₹30,000 towards litigation costs.
