S.K. Naik, Member—Arvind Pandey, husband of deceased Abha Pandey, on his own behalf and on behalf of his minor son Ayush Pandey as the natural guardian, has filed this complaint under Section 21 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, alleging gross medical negligence on part of 8 doctors arrayed as opposite parties no. 1 to 8 as also against (i) Medical Superintendent of CGHS Maternity & Gynae Hospital, opposite party no.9; (ii) Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, opposite party no.10; and (iii) Director General, Health Services, Central Government Health Scheme, opposite party no.11, and has claimed a compensation of Rs.25,00,000.

2. Succinctly put, the case set up by the complainant is that while on the family way his wife, deceased Abha Pandey, was being checked up at CGHS Maternity & Gynae Hospital, R.K. Puram, New Delhi (hereinafter referred to as the Hospital) at regular intervals from 10th of September, 1998 onwards. She had undergone as many as eight check-ups until the 10th of December, 1998, during which neither any abnormality or infirmity was either suggested or diagnosed by the attending doctors. Subsequently during the check up on 17th of Dec