Rajkot: A man has filed a petition in consumer court here against a homeopathy practitioner, demanding Rs 98 lakh as compensation for the death of his 25-year-old son, alleging medical malpractice.The petition filed by Praful Khakhar, states that his son Yash, used to work for a private company in Ahmedabad. He fell ill during a visit home for the Janmashtami festival on Aug 28. Experiencing weakness and uneasiness, Yash was taken to Shriji Clinic, run by Dr S J Panelia, who has a homeopathy degree.The petition alleges that Panelia, despite not having the proper qualifications, conducted pathological tests and administered modern medicines, including intravenous medication.As Yash began shivering and lost consciousness, Dr Panelia shifted him to Pulse Multispecialty Hospital, which advised a brain MRI. He was later referred to the Civil Hospital and then another private hospital, where he died.The family says that despite a postmortem examination, they were not told what the cause of death was.Gajendra Jani, who is representing Khakhar, said, “We’ve also filed an application with police. The doctor treated the patient without having the appropriate qualifications. This is a clear case of medical malpractice. The court admitted our petition and issued notice to the respondents.”The petition accuses Dr Panelia of medical negligence, professional misconduct, deficiency in service and unfair trade practices. The Rs 98 lakh claim includes compensation for lost future income, mental trauma and litigation costs.
