D. Soundararajan — Dentist collected fees but failed to return

Address:

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Please read my mail:
From: dsr46 <[protected]@aol.in>
To: drvinaybalaji <[protected]@gmail.com>
Sent: Sat, Jan 18, 2014 2:53 pm
Subject: MONEY DEPOSITED NOT REFUNDED IN ID # 1121/11


Hi,
I am D.SOUNDARARAJAN, aged 68, who had been your client with ID # 1121/11. During my consultation dated 26.6.13, you had extracted one of my tooth and your receptionist asked me pay Rs.600 towards your fees for the service. As I needed change, I paid Rs.1100 for getting back Rs.500 .But your staff mistakenly gave me a receipt for the entire sum and I tried to correct the lady with my feeble voice (due to the bleeding). It paid no result and hence dropped the idea. I was overstaying at the clinic to see the arrest of bleeding as I was to travel back home by bus -that too without a companion. In between I was advised by your staff to revisit the dentist with Rs.3000 plus for deciding upon the fixation of artificial tooth. Bearing this in mind and to avoid carrying money by bus, I made an additional payment of Rs.2500 and got the receipt corrected for Rs.3600.While doing so I had clearly explained the circumstance and requested her to refund an amount of Rs.3000-in case I am not opting for an artificial tooth.
My cousin (ID 468/13), hailing from Dindigul, used to be accompanied by me -whenever she visited your clinic. During such a visit in Aug 2013, I had informed your staff that I needed no further treatment with regard to the extracted tooth and hence my money be refunded. She pleaded her inability to refund the amount as just then she had settled the entire collection towards a bill of your new building project. In my subsequent attempt too .she cut a sorry figure and suggested me to visit her with prior intimation. It was in the penultimate week of December 2013, my sister had been to you for fixing up the cap after RCT.To my demand of the pending refund, your staff promised to pay back the sum on 26.12.13 -the next appointment day of my cousin .During the course of treatment, I had reminded the staff about the long pending payment. To my dismay, she asked me to meet you for the same. Accordingly I met you and received a shocking treatment from you. I was told that the receptionist had erred by a slip of her tongue and in no case it is your practice not to REFUND THE MONEY ONCE PAID. While it was customary that your receptionist spell out your service charges to each and every client and receive the money, YOU HAD BLUNTLY CONTRADICTED THIS and demanded me to bring the receipts for perusal. Since I had taken the receptionist’s assurance for sure, I had repeatedly requested you to deal this ATLEAST CONSIDERING MY AGE. Even then you were rude enough to conclude that a 50% off might be considered in my future treatment as a special case.
The treatment mooted out to an aged person like me caused extreme mental agony as I felt that I HAD BEEN TAKEN FOR A RIDE. Unbearing this, I had sent an SMS (COMPLINTS REDRESSAL MOBILE #[protected]) at 1.00 p.m of 9.1.2013 requesting you to spare 5-10 minutes to discuss the Refund issue. Since it could not be delivered, I sent an Email .Instantly I received a phone call from you to confirm the meet. With the hope of reaching an amicable solution, I had once again visited you on 10.1.2014.Contrary to my expectation I was treated with more arrogance and all of you even mocked at me.

With this prelude, I am to highlight the following:

1. In accordance with the DENTISTS (CODE OE ETHICS) REGULATIONS 1976 as well as the Consumer Protection Act 1986 you are duty bound to provide the patient a copy of treatment history, XRAY copies. But till date you had not adhered to this.

2. Under the caption Consumer Protection Act and Medical Profession "Duties and Obligations of a Doctor" has been fixed as detailed below:
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Duties and obligations of doctors are enlisted in ordinary laws of the land and various Codes of Medical Ethics and Declarations - Indian and International, which are:
(i) Code of Medical Ethics of Medical Council of India ;
(ii) Hippocratic Oath;
(iii) Declaration of Geneva;
(iv) Declaration of Helsinki;
(v) International Code of Medical Ethics;
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While a consumer is protected even in the Buyer-Seller transaction, we expect much dignity from your profession. Contrary to this legal binding, you are insinuating my integrity and continue to cause mental agony.
With this I am to request you to please REFUND an amount of Rs.3000 paid by me as also Rs.500 being the token amount for the mental agony. In case I am not receiving the amount by 25.1.2014, I am at liberty to escalate the issue to IDA, COIMBATORE CHAPTER, TAMILNADU STATE and DCI, TAMILNADU. In case I am not rendered justice I shall proceed further.

Thanks and Regards,
D.SOUNDARARAJAN