NEW DELHI: The Hyderabad District Consumer Commission has directed Citizens Speciality Hospital and a neurologist to pay Rs 1 crore to the parents of a 30-year-old PhD student who died after suffering a massive brain stroke.
The commission held that the hospital delayed a recommended mechanical thrombectomy while awaiting consent from the patient’s family and an RT-PCR test report. It also awarded Rs 50,000 towards legal expenses. The order was passed on August 25, 2026.
What Happened to the PhD Student?
According to the commission’s order, the 30-year-old English PhD student at the University of Hyderabad was found unconscious in his hostel on August 17, 2020. He was taken to Citizens Speciality Hospital at around 4 pm.
An MRI revealed a massive stroke caused by a complete blockage of a major artery in the brain.
The student’s parents alleged that doctors recommended mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure used to remove the blockage, but delayed carrying it out while waiting for their consent and the patient’s RT-PCR test result.
After the test came back positive for Covid-19, the hospital discharged him. He was subsequently shifted to Continental Hospital on a ventilator, where he died on August 21, 2020.
Hospital Denies Medical Negligence
The hospital and the neurologist denied the allegations of negligence.
They argued that the patient had arrived after the four-hour window for another form of stroke treatment and that the exact time of onset of the stroke was unknown. They also maintained that mechanical thrombectomy required consent from the patient’s immediate family.
The hospital further said it was not a designated Covid-19 facility and had followed the rules and protocols applicable during the pandemic.
Commission Says Treatment Should Not Have Been Delayed
The consumer commission, comprising President B Uma Venkata Subba Lakshmi and members C Lakshmi Prasanna and B Raji Reddy, found the hospital’s own records significant.
The records showed that doctors had recommended mechanical thrombectomy after reviewing the MRI on August 17. According to the hospital, the people accompanying the patient were friends who wanted to consult his family before providing consent.
The commission held that the medical team could have proceeded with emergency treatment under implied or presumed consent when waiting for family approval could result in serious and irreversible harm.
“Instead of delaying for obtaining consent of the patient’s family, the medical team of O.P.No.1 ought to have proceeded with the treatment under implied/presumed emergency consent,” the bench said.
6-24 Hour Window Was Available for Thrombectomy
The commission also rejected the argument that the exact time of the stroke was unknown.
It noted that mechanical thrombectomy can be performed within a six- to 24-hour window in suitable cases. Since the patient had reached the hospital at around 4 pm on August 17, the commission said the procedure could have been carried out within the available treatment window.
The bench observed that the hospital’s medical team had failed to perform the procedure within 24 hours of admission.
Covid Test Should Not Have Delayed Emergency Care
The commission further rejected the hospital’s argument that it had to await the RT-PCR result before proceeding with treatment.
It said emergency stroke treatment should not have been postponed because of the Covid test and that appropriate safety precautions could have been taken while treating the patient.
The bench said the hospital should have performed the thrombectomy while awaiting the RT-PCR report, with the objective of preventing further deterioration and stabilising the patient before discharge.
It also criticised the decision to discharge him on August 19 while he was haemodynamically unstable.
Hospital Ordered to Pay Rs 1 Crore
The commission held Citizens Speciality Hospital and the neurologist responsible for failing to provide timely treatment.
While determining compensation, the bench noted that the student was only 30 years old and was pursuing a PhD, with the potential to earn an income and support his elderly parents.
The commission awarded Rs 1 crore towards loss of financial support, future income, the loss suffered by the parents and mental agony. An additional Rs 50,000 was awarded towards legal expenses.
The compensation will attract 9% annual interest if it is not paid within 45 days of the hospital receiving the order.
