Hospital told to pay Rs 20,000 compensation for serving bad food to patient

Kolkata: On account of serving contaminated food to patient, a Kolkata based private hospital has been penalised with the fine of Rs 20,000 by West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) after insects were seen in the patient's food.

The case was filed against IRISH hospital in Kolkata.

The complainant alleged that when he was a patient at the hospital, an insect was found in the his food. When the patient informed the hospital authorities about the matter, they changed the food of the patient. However, the second food also had an insect.

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Before the WBCERC, the hospital authorities did not deny the allegations. The hospital authorities further cited the caterer of the negligence and informed that they had already served a notice period to him. The incident happened during the transitional period of the caterer. The hospital further informed that the caterer was no longer in their employ.

Disposing off the complaint, the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission ordered the hospital to pay a token penalty of Rs 20,000 to the complainant.

" We impose a token penalty of Rs 20,000 to be paid by the clinical establishment to the complainant. within two weeks and also caution the hospital to be careful in future."

West Bengal Clinical Establishment (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Bill, 2017 is an Act to provide for the registration, regulation and transparency of clinical establishments of the State and for matters connected therewith or incidental there to. Whereas it is expedient, in the public interest, to provide for registration, regulation and transparency in the functioning and activities of clinical establishments licensed under this act, to preserve minimum standards of facilities and service to be provided by them to the service recipients. The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission was announced on 22nd February 2017.

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