Date:05/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/05/stories/2008110557640300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Forum orders eye hospital to pay compensation

Staff Reporter

For loss of vision to two persons at a special camp in Theni

THENI: The Theni District Consumer Redressal Forum directed a Christian Fellowship Eye Hospital to pay compensation and costs to two petitioners, who lost their vision after a surgery at a special camp conducted by it.

In the first case, Thangamani (62), a milk vendor in Periakulam, attended an eye camp conducted by the hospital in Periakulam and underwent a surgery on his left eye. After the operation, he could not see and was referred to the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai for further treatment. But the GRH confirmed the blindness and informed the patient that the sight could not be retrieved.

Following this, Thangamani filed a petition on September 5, 2007, with the TDCRF seeking compensation for the loss of eye sight.

On hearing the petition here on Monday, the forum chairman Sundaramurthy Pillai ordered that the hospital should pay a total compensation of Rs.2.07 lakh, including Rs.50,000 for mental agony, Rs.50,000 for income loss, Rs.1 lakh for eye loss and Rs.2,000 for other expenses and Rs.5,000 as costs.

On hearing the second petition filed by another complainant Kamaraj (47) who lost his eye sight in the same camp, on September 13, 2007, the chairman ordered the same hospital to pay a compensation of Rs.2.20 lakh, including Rs.1 lakh for income loss, Rs.1 lakh for eye loss, Rs.15,000 for other expenses and Rs.5,000 as costs.

Fiat to transport corporation

The TDCRF also directed the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Madurai) Limited to pay a compensation of Rs.15,000 to a petitioner for having collected Rs.1.50 more than the prescribed fare.

The complainant R. Senthil Kumar, in a petition filed with the Theni District Consumer Redressal Forum on June 9, stated that the conductor of a Corporation bus had charged Rs.5 instead of prescribed fare of Rs.3.50 to travel between Periakulam and the District Combined Court complex.

On hearing the petition, the chairman Sundaramurthy Pillai ordered that the corporation should pay the excess fare of Rs.1.50 and a compensation of Rs.15,000 plus Rs.1,000 costs.