The Cuddalore District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed a private scan centre in Chennai to pay a sum of ₹1 lakh as compensation for deficiency in services.
In his petition, the complainant G. Sujith, a gymnast from Chennai said that he had approached Aarthi Scans in Velachery in Chennai on November 8, 2020 for an MRI spine scan. However, during the process, the machine operated by the scan centre malfunctioned causing the complainant to be stuck inside the machine in an “emergency ball wire table.”
A staff member at the facility attempted to free the complainant and tried to severe the wire using a pair of scissors. However, due to the machine’s magnetic force, the complainant sustained an abrasion on his forehead. Following this, the complainant was treated with three sutures for the injury at a private hospital in Velachery.
The complainant also suffered from recurrent seizures following the incident. He moved the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Chennai, and his case was later transferred to Cuddalore.
The Commission, headed by president and Judge D. Gopinath held that employing a sharp metal object such as a scissors in a confined space with a high electromagnetic field within which the complainant was trapped, was not only a risky adventure but also spoke of the clear negligence on the part of the staff who attended the complainant.
“It bears emphasis to note that every patient, prior to undergoing the MRI scan, is advised generally to remove any metallic objects that would react to the intense magnetic field inside the machine. It is not discernible as to how the staff members of the facility have not adhered to this safeguard. It is precisely in these emergency situations, the training and experience of staffs become relevant, and their actions must reflect the same. Whereas in the present case, there appears to be an oversight,” the Commission observed.
It directed the scan centre to pay ₹1 lakh in compensation to the complainant, for deficiency in services. A sum of ₹5,000 was also awarded by the forum to the complainant as legal expenses.
