Sambalpur consumer panel penalises Chinese firm

BHUBANESWAR: The Sambalpur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission penalised a Chinese firm and its Kolkata-based medical equipment supplier for selling a defective ultrasound machine to a clinic in the district.

Dr Debasis Behera and his wife Dr Sandhya Kar of Sambalpur had purchased an ultrasound machine for Rs 8 lakh in 2015 from Mindray, a Chinese multi-national medical instrumentation manufacturer of Shenzhen, through its supplier Hospital Supply Company Pvt Ltd based out of Kolkata and Bhubaneswar.

However, the doctor couple found that the machine was not functioning properly, had deficiencies in its diagnostic applications and even the quality of image was poor. The Commission pointed out that a doctor needs faultless diagnostic machines to provide quicker and accurate services to his/her patients.

It observed that the Chinese firm and its supplier failed to prove that the machine provided to Dr Behera and Dr Kar was faultless. The Commission directed the Chinese firm and its supplier to replace the faulty ultrasound machine with a new one having same specifications within one month.

In its order issued on October 18, the panel said if Mindray and its supplier fail to provide a new machine to the doctor couple within the stipulated time then they will have to pay them Rs 8 lakh towards the cost of the equipment.