KATHMANDU, July 17: The Consumer Court has ruled that negligence during the treatment of Manita Sharma, who died while receiving maternity care, led to her death and ordered Everest Hospital and an obstetrician to pay a total of Rs 3.9 million in compensation to her family.
A bench comprising Consumer Court Chair Dr. Diwakar Bhatt and member Gehendra Raj Regmi ordered Everest Hospital to pay Rs 3 million and obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Jyotsna Sharma Tiwari to pay Rs 900,000.
The court found that the patient, who was suffering from severe pre-eclampsia, was not administered magnesium sulfate—a medication that should be given before a cesarean section in such cases—in a timely manner. The drug was administered only after the surgery, a lapse the court described as a serious medical error that contributed to the deterioration of her condition.
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Sharma was admitted to Everest Hospital on Dec. 10, 2024, after complaining of severe upper abdominal pain. Although she delivered a baby through a cesarean section later that day, her condition worsened afterward. She was referred to HAMS Hospital, where she died while undergoing treatment on a ventilator.
Her husband, Subash Parajuli, had filed a compensation claim with the Consumer Court, alleging medical negligence.
The court held both the hospital and Dr. Tiwari accountable, concluding that the case involved not only the doctor's personal responsibility but also the hospital's institutional and administrative liability. The hospital and the doctor had denied any negligence during the proceedings.
