Wheelchair warrior who impressed apex court is dead

Bangalore Mirror

Bangalore, 29 June 2011: An Infoscion who argued his case before the Supreme Court sitting in a wheelchair and won the highest compensation in the country in a medical negligence case, died in the city on Tuesday (June 28, 2011) afternoon. He was 41.

 

Prashanth S Dhananka, who had gone to Mangalore 10 days ago for an office workshop, developed medical complications and was admitted to Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, where he slipped into a coma. He breathed his last at 4.30 pm. His family members donated Prashanth’s eyes. His last rites will be performed on Wednesday.

 

Prashanth led a challenging life. As a student, he loved to ride bikes but had to be confined to the wheelchair after a botched surgery that left him paralysed waist down.

 

Dhananka, son of a BHEL employee, was admitted to Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in September 1990 after complaints of intermittent fever. Doctors from BHEL Hospital had referred him to NIMS for tests showed a large tumour in his left chest cavity. 

 

Prashanth with his parents

 

After an X-ray and CT scan, he was asked to undergo a biopsy. Though the tumour was benign, doctors decided to remove it, fearing that it would later exert pressure on his respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological systems. In the process, a part of his ribs had to be cut. After the surgery, Dhananka was paralysed waist down.

 

In 1991, six months after the operation, Dhananka’s father wrote to NIMS alleging negligence. In 1993, Dhananka moved the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission which found NIMS guilty and ordered a compensation of Rs 14 lakh to him and Rs 1,50,000 to his father.

 

However, NIMS challenged this in the Supreme Court but Dhananka alleged that he had got less compensation in 1999. After hearing his case, the SC ordered NIMS to pay Dhananka Rs 1 crore and praised him for fighting the case with the deftness of a lawyer and maintaining his composure and equanimity despite being a victim.

 

After Prashanth joined Infosys, N R Narayana Murthy took care to make the company disabled-friendly by constructing ramps. He was given a motorised chair to reach ATMs, while their height was lowered to help him.