AIIMS Rishikesh slapped with Rs 60,000 penalty for False Positive HIV report
Haridwar: The District Consumer Redressal Forum has slapped All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS Rishikesh), Rishikesh a fine of Rs 60 thousand on account of a false positive report of HIV test.
The case concerned a patient, resident of Bhagwanpur in Haridwar district who approached a private hospital in Roorkee for first-aid after going through an injury on 12th July 2014. It was found that his blood was not clotting properly after which he was admitted to the hospital.
When no improvement was observed during the treatment within three days, he was referred to AIIMS Rishikesh where several tests were conducted. At AIIMS, he was informed that he was HIV positive.
The health of the patient, however, deteriorated at which point, he was taken to Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital. At the said hospital, he was detected as HIV negative.
Next year, in January 2015, the patient went to the Consumer Forum and registered a complaint against Roorkee-based Dr BS Saini Kalawati Hospital, AIIMS Rishikesh and United India Insurance Company.
Read Also: UP: BRD Medical College slapped a fine of Rs 5 crore
The consumer Court went through the entire matter and pointed out AIIMS Rishikesh for "giving an incorrect HIV report to a fit person."
The forum observed that the AIIMS Rishikesh "delivered inadequate services thereby causing mental trauma to the complainant."
The forum further directed the institute to pay a penalty of Rs 50,000 and an additional Rs 10,000 on the institution for "wasting the complainant's time and energy", reports the TOI.
The forum ordered, "Ensure payment of Rs 50,000 and Rs 10,000 within one month for incorrect treatment. And in case the amount is not paid within a month, then you will be liable to pay this amount at 6% annual interest," quotes the TOI.
The spokesperson of the institute called the diagnosis report to be a documentation error and confirmed that judgment will be challenged in a higher court.
He informed the daily, "We will appeal against the judgement in the state consumer forum. It was a documentation error and probably the very next day, it became clear to the patient that his report was negative. And nowhere in the discharge papers was it mentioned that the patient was HIV positive."
A lawyer associated with the case told the TOI, "The court observed that the test result caused mental trauma and social problems to the man."
The case concerned a patient, resident of Bhagwanpur in Haridwar district who approached a private hospital in Roorkee for first-aid after going through an injury on 12th July 2014. It was found that his blood was not clotting properly after which he was admitted to the hospital.
When no improvement was observed during the treatment within three days, he was referred to AIIMS Rishikesh where several tests were conducted. At AIIMS, he was informed that he was HIV positive.
The health of the patient, however, deteriorated at which point, he was taken to Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital. At the said hospital, he was detected as HIV negative.
Next year, in January 2015, the patient went to the Consumer Forum and registered a complaint against Roorkee-based Dr BS Saini Kalawati Hospital, AIIMS Rishikesh and United India Insurance Company.
Read Also: UP: BRD Medical College slapped a fine of Rs 5 crore
The consumer Court went through the entire matter and pointed out AIIMS Rishikesh for "giving an incorrect HIV report to a fit person."
The forum observed that the AIIMS Rishikesh "delivered inadequate services thereby causing mental trauma to the complainant."
The forum further directed the institute to pay a penalty of Rs 50,000 and an additional Rs 10,000 on the institution for "wasting the complainant's time and energy", reports the TOI.
The forum ordered, "Ensure payment of Rs 50,000 and Rs 10,000 within one month for incorrect treatment. And in case the amount is not paid within a month, then you will be liable to pay this amount at 6% annual interest," quotes the TOI.
The spokesperson of the institute called the diagnosis report to be a documentation error and confirmed that judgment will be challenged in a higher court.
He informed the daily, "We will appeal against the judgement in the state consumer forum. It was a documentation error and probably the very next day, it became clear to the patient that his report was negative. And nowhere in the discharge papers was it mentioned that the patient was HIV positive."
A lawyer associated with the case told the TOI, "The court observed that the test result caused mental trauma and social problems to the man."
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