Infant sues Dr Agarwal’s eye hospital for medical negligence

Kampala, Uganda  | THE INDEPENDENT |  Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital has been sued by an infant who lost his sight after wrong diagnosis of his condition and alleged negligence.

In a suit filed before the Civil Division of High Court in Kampala, the boy, through his mother Margaret Nabbona contends that he was diagnosed with Keratoconus, a disorder of the eye which results in progressive thinning of the cornea. However, specialists at Mengo Hospital advised him to seek further treatment from Dr Agarwal’s Hospital.

He narrates that a subsequent scan and sight test recommended that he undergoes corrective eye surgery and a cornea transplant. The infant’s eye was operated and a cornea transplant was done in April 2019, a Procedure Which cost the family more than seven million Shillings. They were discharged immediately and advised to return to the hospital a day later for review.

But the boy faults medical staff at Dr Agarwal’s Hospital for failing to explain the ailment to his mother in detail or even seeking her consent before dragging them into costly and ineffective surgical procedures.  He says that his mother did not have any knowledge or instructions on care for a condition she hardly knew about.

He believes that such medical negligence is what caused the infection which was detected in the same eye, two weeks after the operation. He underwent a second operation which cost him 420,000 Shillings but was still left in his mother’s care.

To their dismay, a medic only identified as Dr Fabian informed them that the cornea that was transplanted was not compatible with the blood system. However, this observation came long after the eye swell, leaving the boy in extreme pain.

The mother narrates that they sought further treatment at Ruharo Hospital where it was discovered that the surgical procedures that were carried out were erroneous. The child now wants the court to declare that he was negligently handled by Dr Agarwal’s Hospital and order for general and special damages.

Rajagopalan Sundaresant which trades as Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital has since been summoned to file their defence in regards to the allegations.

A relatively similar case was in November 2019 filed against St Francis Nsambya Hospital by a female minor who alleges that the negligence caused by that hospital has since caused her permanent blindness.

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