District Consumer Protection Forum (DCPF) Srinagar has directed two private medical equipment companies, Bayer Diagnostic and Super Syndicate, to pay Rs 4 lakh compensation to Khan’s Clinical Laboratory for causing “harassment and financial loss” by supplying faulty equipment.
After hearing senior advocate Bashir Ahmad Bashir, the counsel for complainant, and opposite parties, the forum said, “The complainant has suffered affliction, serious inconvenience, harassment and financial loss due to the improper functioning of the equipment right from its installation.”
The forum presided over by Muhammad Ashraf Malik, principal district and session’s judge and Farah Deeba and Tariq HussainQadri as its members examined the evidence and witnesses, said that opposite parties have failed to cite any evidence in rebuttal.
“Inaction on the part of opposition parties tantamount to the deficiency of service,” it added.
In his complaint before the forum, Dr AR Khan proprietor Khan’s Clinical Laboratory Srinagar had stated that in order to earn his livelihood as also to increase the efficiency in analysis/tests conducted thereof intended to purchase high cost equipment known as “Hematology System”. The cost of machinery was Rs 6.70 lakh but soon after installation the equipment went out of order.