Srinagar, Sep 22, 2017, Kashmir Pen : The department of Legal Metrology received a complaint from a consumer namely Bashir Ahmad Mir of Khomeini Chowk Budgam against a dermatologist clinic operating from Srinagar city for an unfair trade practice. The consumer has approached the clinic for treatment of hair-fall and transplantation .The doctor in the clinic recommended certain medical tests before going for minor surgery of hair-transplantation .The consumer spent Rs 6000 for the tests and produced the same before the doctor for the analysis. The doctor assured the consumer that hair-transplantation surgery shall prove 100% successful as all the parameters are satisfactory. The Consumer deposited Rs 40,000 in the clinic for the surgery but the surgery proved unsuccessful. The consumer approached the clinic again for the deficiency of the service but he received a poor response from management of the clinic and unsuccessful surgery and treatment was attributed to his slackness of taking the medicines regularly. The consumer got hurt by the response of the management of the clinic and was put into deep mental agony.
After going through the complaint, the department observed that the medical prescription issued to the complainant does not carry the details of surgery and treatment as are required under Medical laws. The notice was issued to the clinic for their response against the said complaint. The clinic through their counsel raised certain legal objections which were cleared in the department`s second notice. The private hospitals/nursing homes/clinics fall under the purview of Jammu and Kashmir Consumer Protection Act, 1987 as these institutions are providing service against payment/consideration. The Govt. has empowered the officers of Legal Metrology department to lodge the consumer complaints in the consumer courts of the state. Both the parties attended the office of the Deputy Controller Legal Metrology (Consumer Protection) Kashmir to be heard in person. They mutually agreed to settle the dispute amicably in order to avoid any litigation. The management of the clinic offered the complainant a cheque amounting to Rs 22000 as compensation for his mental agony in presence of Mr. Amar Singh Jt Controller Legal Metrology Kashmir. The consumers are informed to preserve the medical prescriptions, clinical reports, receipts of surgery-charges/medicines etc as these stand evidences in relevant forums whenever there is a consumer dispute.