Jagatsinghpur: A consumer court directed a nursing home at Rahama in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to a couple for allegedly providing a wrong ultrasound report before the child’s delivery.
The matter came to light after Bandana Das, wife of Manoranjan Chuli, of Jayapur village under Tirtol police limits gave birth to a physically-challenged male child in September 2021 at L&P Hospital.
According to media reports, Bandana had her ultrasound done thrice before delivery at a nursing home, run by Prof Lipsa Das and sonologist Pratap Keshari Das, who allegedly gave her the wrong reports.
After the delivery, the couple learnt that their baby is born without a right palm and left leg.
“We lodged a case against the sonologist Pratap Keshari Das at the local police station but no actions were taken. Following this, we sought help from a social activist and moved to District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF),” Manoranjan told local media.
They alleged that the ultrasound report was provided to them without pointing out any physical deformity of the foetus. “Had we been told about it, we could have opted for abortion,” said Bandana.
After hearing both parties, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF) on September 22 directed the hospital and the sonologist to make a fixed deposit of Rs 10 lakh in the name of the child with the complainant as the custodian of the amount.
The opposite parties were asked to deposit the amount within 45 days from the date of receipt of the order, failing which they would be slapped with Rs 8% interest per annum on the Rs 10 lakh.
“The amount will be deposited in any nationalised bank of the locality where the amount shall be kept as FD for the maximum period available in that bank. The FD will have auto renewal and it will be paid to the child only on attending the age of 26 years,” said the court.
The opposite parties were also asked to pay Rs 50,000 to the complainant for her mental agony and Rs 4,000 towards the cost of litigation.
“If any consumer feels being cheated by hospitals they can avail help from DCDRF without any hesitation,” senior advocate Om Prakash Das told the local media.
