Overview
Exonerating a Government doctor and nurse from the charges of medical negligence and carelessness after long 16 years, the Telangana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission recently clarified that the doctors and staff of Government hospital, where no kinds of fees are collected from the patients, cannot be held guilty of medical negligence under the jurisdiction of the consumer protection act.
The District Forum had allowed the complaint on the basis of the contention that the parents of the complainant were legal taxpayers. However, referring to such observations made by the District Consumer Court as "obnoxious", the State Commission set aside the order of the District Forum and noted, "The observations of the District Forum that since the citizens pay taxes to the Government and the Government is running the hospital, they are liable, is obnoxious."