The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission asked a private hospital on Wednesday to pay a compensation of ₹5 lakh to a patient who developed post-operative complications after a cardiothoracic vascular surgery.

A chest X-ray revealed a gauge inside the patient after the surgery at Medica Superspecialty Hospital.

The patient later underwent surgery at SSKM Hospital to remove the gauge.

“The complainant said that when the patient developed complications and went to the hospital (Medica) the doctors did not give the matter any importance. When a chest X-ray revealed a gauge, the hospital agreed to do surgery. But the patient was told that it would not be covered by Swasthya Sathi and insurance and the cost would have to be borne by the patient,” said retired judge Ashim Banerjee, the chairman of the commission.

Banerjee said the patient’s family did not agree. “They said that since it was the hospital’s negligence, the surgery should be free of cost. They went to SSKM to get the surgery done,” he said.

“We have asked the hospital to pay ₹5 lakh for negligence. The hospital could have made a mistake but... the paramedical staff should have been more alert,” said Banerjee.

The complainant, he said, had asked for a compensation of ₹1 crore but the commission did not find any logical argument in favour of it.

The matter was first heard on August 29, 2024. Both parties had said they would submit some documents. The case came up for hearing again on November 29 after the papers were filed.

A surgeon at another hospital said if a foreign body is left inside after surgery, it could lead to chronic infection.

“A patient can have episodes of fever, pus formation and abnormal cough if the foreign body is not retrieved early,” the surgeon said.

A source at Medica said their legal team was yet to get a copy of the order. “We can comment only after going through the published order,” said the source.