An accident occurred while cutting a tree with an electric saw. The man who was using the saw, as a result of the chain breaking, was injured in the neck. Although the wound was treated at the hospital, it did not heal properly.
After some time, the patient went to the hospital again, explaining that the wound was still painful and there was a thickening at the site of the injury. However, the man was sent home without being examined. His condition was not improving, so he reported to the surgical outpatient clinic, where a nearly four centimeter piece of chain was cut from his wound.
In this situation, the patient went to the Patient Ombudsman. On the basis of the evidence gathered, the Ombudsman concluded that the health services provided to the man by the hospital were performed without due diligence. The staff of the institution did not undertake diagnostics which would have indisputably proved that the patient’s wound was properly treated. Medical records show that the wound was treated in only several minutes – including the medical history and documentation completion.
After reviewing the case, the Ombudsman found a violation of the patient’s rights to health services and documentation. Moreover, he recommended the implementation of measures aimed at preventing similar situations from occurring in the future. With the consent of the injured party, a request for payment was also sent to the medical facility. As a result of the actions taken, the medical facility voluntarily paid PLN 10,000 as compensation for the harm suffered.
It is worth remembering that in this situation the Ombudsman may assist injured people in pursuing claims for compensation, on the same rights as the public prosecutor.
