AIIMS Rishikesh ordered to pay Rs 60,000 after ‘wrongly declaring’ man as HIV positive

The Uttarakhand State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission recently upheld a district commission's order directing the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh to pay Rs 60,000 to a man for falsely declaring him as HIV positive. The man claimed he suffered mental and emotional distress as a result of the erroneous diagnosis, which led to stigma and financial loss.

The commission ruled that AIIMS was guilty of medical negligence and deficiency in service, as the man later received HIV negative results from two other hospitals. The commission acknowledged that AIIMS did not have an integrated HIV testing centre at the time and stated that no expert medical evidence was provided by the man to support the claim of medical negligence.

Despite the man's assertion that he had paid Rs 270 for medical investigation and other charges, the commission ruled that AIIMS still owed the compensation, as the services were not "wholly" free of charges. The ruling emphasizes the responsibility of government hospitals to provide proper care and the importance of addressing consumer concerns to prevent unnecessary inconvenience.