Taken for a ride

Patient hearings

the Supreme Court ruling which held that medical services fall within the ambit of the definition of 'services' of the Consumer Protection Act (cpa) 1986, came after five long years of court battles between medical professionals and consumer protection groups. The medicos had been contending that these courts were incapable of understanding the complexities of their profession.

DOCTORS IN THE DOCK

Medical negligence will now become a Case for dispute with the Supreme Court ordering that it wil! come under the ambit of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The unanious 65-page verdict from the bench of Justices Kuldip Singh, S C Aggarwal and B L Hansaria was delivered on November 13. Aggrieved patients who receive deficient services from doctors and hospitals can now seek damages from the courts which will hopefully mean that they can now look forward to better care and responsibility from the doctors.

Promoting the fight against medical malpractice

INVESTMENT in public services has not kept pace with the health needs of India's growing population. This has resulted in the quality of medical services being poor. The dismal performance of government hospitals has encouraged the growth of private medical institutions, but these are profit-motivated and far too many of them indulge in cutting corners and unethical medical practices.

Supreme Court to consider doctors' appeal

THE SUPREME Court is set to cover new ground in medical litigation when it considers an appeal by doctors contesting their inclusion within the purview of the Consumer Protection Act (COPRA), 1986. Doctors of the Cosmopolitan Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram were charged with medical negligence in September 1989, when G P Nair, a company executive, died at the hospital after an erroneous diagnosis.