Home / Crime and Justice / AIIMS Rishikesh Fined Rs 60,000 for HIV Misdiagnosis
AIIMS Rishikesh Fined Rs 60,000 for HIV Misdiagnosis
19 Aug
Summary
- AIIMS Rishikesh ordered to pay Rs 60,000 for incorrect HIV positive diagnosis.
- Subsequent tests at other hospitals confirmed the patient was HIV negative.
- The diagnosis caused significant mental agony and social stigma to the patient.
The Uttarakhand State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission recently affirmed a district commission's decision, mandating the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, to compensate a patient Rs 60,000. This ruling stems from the hospital's incorrect diagnosis of the man as HIV positive.
The commission found AIIMS liable for medical negligence and deficiency in service. The patient had presented subsequent medical reports from two other hospitals that declared him HIV negative, contradicting AIIMS's initial findings recorded on his discharge sheet. The state commission noted that the hospital's assertion of no HIV diagnosis being made was disproven by its own medical records.
AIIMS had appealed the district commission's order, arguing that the patient did not provide expert evidence of negligence and that no integrated counseling and testing center for HIV was operational at the facility then. However, the state commission pointed out that the patient paid Rs 270 for medical investigations, negating the claim that services were entirely free.
Consequently, the commission concluded that AIIMS breached its duty by repeatedly recording the patient as HIV positive without supporting diagnostic material. This error caused the man considerable mental agony, social stigma, and emotional distress. The ruling underscores the obligation of government hospitals to provide proper services and address consumer grievances effectively.
