Hyderabad: The Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I has directed a private healthcare provider, Kolors Healthcare, to refund Rs 90,000 to a woman after finding deficiencies in the obesity treatment provided to her.
The Commission also ordered the clinic to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation for the mental agony and inconvenience caused to the complainant, along with Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.
Complaint over obesity treatment
The complaint was filed by K Kalyani, a resident of Telangana’s Nalgonda district, who approached Kolors Healthcare after being diagnosed with Central Android Obesity.
According to the Commission’s order, the healthcare provider initiated treatment without conducting mandatory pre-treatment medical examinations, including blood sugar, blood pressure and cardiac evaluations.
Kalyani alleged that she developed vomiting and severe discomfort after undergoing two treatment sessions.
She further claimed that despite informing the clinic about her deteriorating condition, she was neither examined nor treated by the institution’s panel of medical experts.
Commission’s findings
After examining the evidence and hearing the case, the Consumer Commission held that the clinic had collected the entire treatment fee without providing the promised standard of medical care.
The Commission observed that commencing treatment without carrying out essential medical investigations and failing to provide adequate follow-up care amounted to a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act.
Refund ordered
Directing relief in favour of the complainant, the Commission ordered Kolors Healthcare to refund the Rs 90,000 treatment fee.
In addition, it directed the healthcare provider to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation for the inconvenience and mental agony suffered by the complainant and Rs 5,000 towards the cost of litigation.
