Imphal, December 20 2010: The Manipur State Commission for Consumers' Dispute Redressal, which was in a defunct state due to non-appointment of a president, has returned to active service taking up various cases which had been pending for a long time.

Justice Maibam Binoykumar who recently retired as Judge of Gauhati High Court has been appointed as president of the commission.

With his appointment, pending cases waiting for final verdict are now being taken up in right earnest.

Among other cases waiting for a final verdict, is a petition filed against RIMS Hospital and Imphal Hospital authorities, related with the death of a patient.

The final hearing of the petition seeking a compensation of ' 24 lakh has been fixed on January 7, 2011 .

The case was filed by RK Nolini of Thangmeiband Lourungpurel Leikai three years back in 2007 when her husband, Gourachandra died of an illness following his admittance in the two hospitals.

She alleged that her husband died of negligence on the part of the doctors attending him at RIMS Hospital and Imphal Hospital.

She had prayed the commission to direct authorities of the two hospitals to pay a fine of ' 24 lakh for dereliction of duty.

The commission had registered a case against Dr Naorem Sharatchandra, head of the Neurology Department, RIMS, Dr Y Iboton of the medicine department RIMS, director of RIMS Hospital and Managing Director of Imphal Hospital.

In her petition, Nolini stated that her husband, Guorachandra, was admitted to Imphal Hospital on January 21, 2007 and was treated till January 27, 2007 by Dr N Sharatchandra, who also works in the RIMS Hospital.

After that, he was admitted to RIMS Hospital on February 6, 2007 and he expired on February 14 .

During the treatment at RIMS Hospital, three bottles of blood were administered to her husband.

Without any request sought from the family, he was discharged and was asked to be shifted to Apollo Hospital in New Delhi for further treatment.

It was on this very day that her husband died.

In her petition, she charged that negligence on the part of the doctors of RIMS Hospital and Imphal Hospital attending him, and transfusion of blood without proper diagnosis, was the main cause of the death of her husband and that the authorities of these two hospitals should compensate the loss suffered by the family.

Even though the Commission admitted the case in 2007 and started hearings, it remained pending till date due to the non-appointment of president of the Commission who was to preside over the hearings.

Many other cases related with consumers' complaints for redressal pending with the commission have also been taken up since the appointment of Justice (Retired) M Binoykumar, official sources said.

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