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Mohali: Poor quality denture lands hospital in soup
Complainant said the quality of denture was so poor he had to visit a dental clinic in Sector 68 four times during a period of six months for its repair; consumer disputes redressal commission directs hospital to refund ₹15,000 charged for the denture with 9% interest.
For providing a denture of “not of very high quality”, leading to the harassment of a Phase 10 resident amid the 2020 lockdown, the district consumer disputes redressal commission, Mohali, directed the hospital to refund ₹15,000 charged for the denture with 9% interest.
Disposing of the complaint filed by GS Chhabra, the district consumer commission directed Guru Harkrishan Sahib (c) Eye Hospital Trust, Sohana, also known as Sohana Hospital, to pay ₹1,500 as compensation for the mental agony and harassment he suffered.
Chhabra said he had approached Sohana Hospital for implanting a denture on March 26, 2019 and paid ₹15,000 for the preparation of the denture after persuasion by a doctor at the hospital. He was asked to choose from three dentures of varying costs.
He said he visited the hospital eight times for measurements and reshaping. He alleged that on April 8, 2020, while cleaning the denture with a brush and soap solution, the lower denture slipped from his hand, fell on the floor of the bathroom and broke into two pieces. He said on April 8, 2020, as Mohali was under lockdown, it was not possible for him to approach the hospital for repairs of the denture. He had also called the hospital but was told they are closed. Finding no alternative, Chhabra sought the help of the police to collect the broken denture and deliver it to a dental care clinic in Sector 68 from where he got it repaired.
He said then again on July 30, while eating fruits, one of the teeth got separated from the denture plate and similarly on August 7, while having breakfast, another tooth also got separated. On October 13, another tooth got separated from the denture plate while he was having breakfast. So, he had to visit a dental clinic in Sector 68 four times during a period of six months for the repair of the denture.
Guru Harkrishan Sahib (c) Eye Hospital Trust, Sohana, was issued notice but as none appeared on their behalf, they were proceeded ex parte.
‘Deficiency writ large’
The district consumer disputes redressal commission held “it was incumbent upon the hospital to bring sufficient evidence on file to prove that a very high quality material was used while preparing the implanted denture and there was no deficiency in service on their part.”
The district consumer commission added, “In the instant case, it is an admitted fact that the hospital had given three options to Chhabra to choose a denture having three different prices and he opted for the most expensive one. These three options were given by the doctor. This shows that the doctor was fully conversant with the fact that the material used or supplied to her by the hospital was not of very high quality and it was possible that the denture could break even if it falls from very little height.
“It is also an admitted fact that Chhabra had to undergo mental as well as physical harassment at the hands of the hospital. Deficiency in service on the part of hospital is writ large.”
