PUDUCHERRY: Thirty-two years after a botched surgery left a bolt and nut in the abdomen of a woman, National Consumer Redressal Commission directed a private clinic in Puducherry to pay ₹13.7 lakh as compensation.It was on June 24, 1991, that the woman underwent an abdominal hysterectomy (removal of uterus) at Clinic Nallam.

She was 35 years old then.

After the surgery by Dr V Nallam and Dr Sreeramamurthy, she complained of complications and was admitted to the same clinic within a month, on July 17, 1991.Since then she consulted several doctors till 2003, when gynaecologist Dr Mini Ravi examined her and confirmed in November 2003 about the presence of a foreign body.

She then had to undergo a major surgery at another private hospital to remove the foreign objects - a nut and a bolt - in December 2003.Earlier, Clinic Nallam came forward to perform the surgery free of cost and pay f ₹50,000 as compensation.

However, the woman lodged a complaint with the state commission demanding ₹84 lakh as compensation.On April 20, 2012, the state consumer disputes redressal commission in Puducherry directed Clinic Nallam and the opposite parties to pay ₹6 lakh to the woman towards the cost of medical treatment incurred by her complainant, ₹72,000 towards the engagement of a household servant maid to do household works for 12 years and another ₹7 lakh towards unbearable pain, loss of normal life, loss of care of the children, etc.

because of negligence and deficiency in service on the part of opposite parties, and ₹5,000 towards costs.The clinic and others filed an appeal before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi, which upheld the state commission's order on November 10.