HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-III Hyderabad has ordered a laboratory to pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for a false thyroid diagnosis.
The case dated back to January 26, 2017, when the complaint Afreen Begum, a resident of, Hashmatpet, Secunderabad when to a laboratory Vanaja Diagnostic Centre (VDC), for diagnostics test of the thyroid (PCH). The diagnostic centre’s reports showed high levels of thyroid hormones at 9.59 PCH. However, the doctor asked the complainant to get another thyroid test done at a different diagnostic centre, YCLIN wherein it was found that TSH was actually 2.86 PCH.
“The diagnosis by the laboratory, showing that the patient has a thyroid problem, was struck down by test reports from two different laboratories. This clearly shows the accused diagnostic centre had wrongly diagnosed the complainant, causing her mental agony while she was pregnant. Due to this, the complainant was forced to run from pillar to post to obtain a second opinion from different laboratories,” said the forum in its order.
“On account of the laboratory’s negligence it would be justified that it pays compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the complainant for the mental agony caused along with a cost award of Rs 10,000, as the complaint was made to approach this Forum,” the order stated.