The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report highlighting a case of medical negligence at a hospital in Panipat, Haryana. The report indicates that a patient, who injured his right knee, was mistakenly operated on his left knee. When the error was discovered, doctors performed surgery on the correct knee, but the patient remains unable to walk. Despite being eligible for free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the hospital charged the patient Rs 8,000 and confiscated his Ayushman Card. 

The NHRC has deemed the reported incident as a serious violation of the patient's rights to life and health. Consequently, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of Haryana, demanding a detailed report within one week. This report must include actions taken against those responsible and any compensation provided to the patient. The NHRC emphasized the responsibility of authorities to oversee private hospitals and prevent patient exploitation and mistreatment. 

The patient, a laborer who lost his family in an accident in 2006, injured his right knee while cleaning his house. This incident underscores the critical need for stringent oversight and accountability in the healthcare sector to protect vulnerable individuals from such grave instances of medical negligence.