Medical Negligence Case Against Hospital Referred to Karnataka Medical Council

The Bengaluru Urban District Health Officer (DHO) and the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Grievance Redressal Authority have formally referred a case of alleged medical negligence to the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) for inquiry and report. The case involves a 14-month-old boy who suffered severe brain damage following routine ear surgery at Cloudnine Hospital, Nagarabhavi. The complaint was lodged by Sampath Kumar K.P., whose son was admitted on July 26, 2026, for emergency surgical repair of a full-thickness ear laceration.

During the surgical procedure, the toddler experienced a cardiac arrest within the operation theatre. Subsequently, he sustained a severe brain injury due to a lack of oxygen. An expert medical panel, comprising anaesthesiologist Raghunatha M. and paediatrician Nagaraju from the State-run Sir C.V. Raman General Hospital, conducted a detailed inquiry into the incident.

The panel's findings pointed to critical lapses during the administration of anesthesia. According to the technical committee’s report submitted to the KMC, while the operating room was satisfactorily equipped, the attending anesthesiologist was deemed "not well trained to administer anaesthesia for small children." The report further detailed that the doctor attempted to intubate the child with an uncuffed tube, which led to hypoxia, bradycardia, and the eventual cardiac arrest.

Hospital logs indicated that the cardiac arrest was reversed within seven minutes. However, the expert committee's report contradicted this, stating that brain hypoxia persisted for 15 to 20 minutes. This prolonged lack of oxygen was identified as the cause of severe, irreversible brain damage. An MRI scan performed three days after the incident confirmed a partial prolonged hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury.

Following initial resuscitation, the toddler was transferred to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Cloudnine Hospital, Jayanagar, for advanced critical care. A clinical evaluation by Dr. Nagaraju noted that while the child has been weaned off mechanical ventilation and is hemodynamically stable, he suffers from profound neurological sequelae. The toddler remains unresponsive to verbal commands, has lost his sight, exhibits decerebrate posturing, and is dependent on Ryle’s tube feeding, requiring ongoing multidisciplinary care.

The DHO and KPME Authority reviewed the expert panel’s findings and the parents’ submission during a hearing held on October 8. Noting that the medical panel’s findings explicitly indicated prima facie medical negligence, the Bengaluru Urban DHO formally transferred the case files to the KMC president on October 12, for disciplinary proceedings and further action. The case was published on October 13, 2026.

What to watch: The outcome of the Karnataka Medical Council’s inquiry and disciplinary proceedings.

Editor's note: The draft provides a comprehensive account of the medical negligence case using all key details from the source.