Private hospital told to pay patient Rs.18 lakh compensation

Private hospital told to pay patient Rs.18 lakh compensationChandigarh, Jan 5 - A consumer forum has ordered a private hospital here to pay a compensation of nearly Rs. 18 lakh to a former patient for deficiency in services, an official said Tuesday.

The district consumer disputes redressal forum has directed Inscol hospital, located in Sector 34, to pay the compensation money to Inderjit Arora, a resident of Manimajra town near here.

Arora, a diabetes patient, was admitted at Inscol hospital Aug 1, 2005, with complaints of fever, shivering and pain in the legs. She alleged the doctors at the hospital administered her wrong injection without consulting any senior physician.

In her complaint, she said her condition deteriorated after the injection, which cost Rs. 72,000. She was later shifted to another private hospital.

Arora approached the consumer forum in July 2007.

The counsel for Inscol hospital told the forum that there was no deficiency in their services and the family members had taken the patient to another hospital on their own.

However, the forum, after hearing arguments from both sides, directed the hospital to pay the compensation to Arora in a month.

The amount includes Rs. 10 lakh as compensation for mental agony and physical harassment, Rs. 101,858 spent on her treatment at Inscol hospital, and Rs. 691,095 spent on medical expenses in other hospitals. (IANS)