Posted By :  Admin1

The Rajasthan High Court has quashed an FIR filed against four doctors accused of medical negligence leading to a patient's death during a minor uterine fibroid surgery in Jodhpur. The complainant alleged that the doctors failed to conduct essential pre-operative tests, delayed critical diagnostics, and provided inadequate post-operative care, resulting in the patient's demise. The court emphasized that it is unreasonable to presume that medical professionals would intentionally compromise patient care, as such actions could severely damage their professional reputation and economic stability .

Justice Farjand Ali, presiding over the case, noted that private medical institutions and their staff are inherently motivated to uphold high standards of care due to the direct impact on their credibility and financial viability. He stated that in the modern healthcare ecosystem, no private hospital or its professional staff can reasonably be presumed to operate with a willful disregard for human life, especially when such conduct would directly undermine their institutional standing and public trust. The court highlighted that a single adverse outcome, even if remotely attributable to negligence, could cause irreparable damage to both the doctor's and the hospital's reputation.

This ruling aligns with the Supreme Court's precedent in Jacob Mathew v. State of Punjab (2005), which mandates that criminal proceedings against medical professionals should only proceed after obtaining an expert medical opinion indicating a prima facie case of negligence. The Rajasthan High Court's decision underscores the importance of safeguarding medical practitioners from unwarranted criminal liability, ensuring that allegations of negligence are substantiated by credible expert assessments before legal action is initiated.