BeyondHeadlines News Desk
Have you heard frequently that even if there is an emergency, the doctor is busy because he is attending another patient? Have you or your relative suffered from ‘You are in queue syndrome’ at the hospital? Read the blog below, you might never wait any longer at the hospital during an emergency.
Is the doctor liable for not attending to the victim in emergency cases?
Yes, the doctor is liable for not attending the ’emergency patient’ in time especially after claiming to provide emergency services.
When a hospital or Doctor claims to provide emergency services it has to provide these services whenever asked for. If the Specialist doctor is unavailable it is a clear case of negligence on the part of the hospital authorities. If the patient requires an urgent operation, it is the basic duty of the doctor towards his patient. And if the Doctor claiming to provide emergency services fails to make available emergency services, there is a breach of duty on his part.
In the case of Sishir Ranjan Saha v. State of Tripura, the victim of the road accident was brought to a hospital. He needed major surgery. The specialist doctor was not available as he was busy attending to the other patients and did not respond to the call of emergency. The victim filed a suit in the court claiming compensation.
Judgment: The court held that the doctor was liable for not attending the ’emergency patient’ on time especially after claiming to provide emergency services. It ordered the defendant to pay a compensation of Rs.1,25,000. It also ordered the hospital to improve its quality of service.
So the next time you find “EMERGENCY SERVICE AVAILABLE’ at the Hospital or Nursing Home, remember it’s your right to get the Doctor urgently even if one of them is busy.
