Chandigarh Consumer Commission Holds Atulaya Healthcare Liable for Negligently Uploading Wrong Covid-19 Positive Report on ICMR Portal
Pranav B Prem
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh, has held Atulaya Healthcare and its management liable for deficiency in service for wrongfully uploading the complainant’s Covid-19 test result as “Positive” on the ICMR portal, despite issuing her a Negative RT-PCR report. A Bench comprising Mr. Amrinder Singh Sidhu (President) and Mr. B.M. Sharma (Member) observed that such negligence in handling sensitive medical data during a global health emergency cannot be brushed aside as a trivial clerical error. The Commission emphasised that the consequences of such carelessness are far-reaching, exposing an individual to panic, stigma, and unwarranted restrictions.
The complainant, Ms. Rajni Thareja, submitted that she had undergone the RT-PCR test at Atulaya Healthcare, Sector-11, Chandigarh, on 13.12.2020, a day prior to her scheduled travel to Mussoorie. She paid ₹900 for the test and received a Negative report on 14.12.2020. Relying on this report, she commenced her journey along with her family and a group of travellers. However, on 15.12.2020, while she had already reached the destination, her husband received multiple calls from officials of the DC Office, Panchkula/Chandigarh, informing him that her Covid-19 status had been uploaded as “Positive” by Atulaya Healthcare in the ICMR online system.
According to the complainant, this erroneous declaration subjected her to humiliation and panic. She stated that after fellow travellers came to know about the “positive” entry, she was segregated from the group, was refused accommodation at the hotel, and was unable to attend pre-planned work meetings during the trip. She asserted that she suffered mental trauma, reputational harm, and professional loss, especially as she had relied on the Negative report issued by the laboratory itself. She accused Atulaya Healthcare of gross negligence for misreporting her result and failing to notify her about the mistake even after it was made.
The opposite parties admitted in their written reply that Atulaya Healthcare had mistakenly uploaded the complainant’s result as Positive on the ICMR portal—while reiterating that the test was actually Negative. They claimed that the error occurred due to inadvertence by their data entry staff and that they had written an email to the ICMR on 16.12.2020 to correct the result. However, the Commission noted that the opposite parties failed to produce any evidence—such as a copy of the alleged email, acknowledgment of receipt, or any communication from ICMR—confirming that corrective action had indeed been taken. The Commission also observed that Atulaya Healthcare did not inform the complainant about the error at any point, leaving her shocked and helpless when contacted by district administration officials.
The Commission held that in matters involving public health, laboratories carry a heightened responsibility, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when government authorities relied on accurate test data for tracking, isolation, and prevention measures. Uploading incorrect data on the national portal created by ICMR, despite issuing a different report to the patient, was not merely a minor error but a serious lapse that directly affected the complainant’s liberty, travel, social interactions, and mental well-being.
The Bench further observed that the opposite parties offered no explanation for why internal checks failed or why such a sensitive mistake was not immediately brought to the complainant’s notice. The Commission noted that the complainant suffered substantial inconvenience and anxiety as she had travelled under the bona fide belief that her test was Negative, only to be later informed—by government officials and not by the laboratory—that she was listed as Covid-positive. The Bench recorded that such contradictory reporting could have had even more serious consequences had the authorities taken coercive steps based on the incorrect data.
After analysing the pleadings and evidence, the Commission concluded that the wrongful uploading of a Positive result constituted clear deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act. It rejected the lab’s argument that the incident caused no real harm, holding that the stress, isolation, humiliation, and disruption faced by the complainant were direct outcomes of the negligence. The Commission also took note that the complainant had filed the case seeking compensation of ₹19,50,000, but limited relief could be granted based on evidence placed on record.
Accordingly, the Commission partly allowed the complaint and directed Atulaya Healthcare and its management to pay ₹25,000, which includes compensation for harassment and litigation expenses. This amount must be paid within 45 days, failing which it shall carry interest at 9% per annum from the date of the complaint (05.04.2021) until realisation.
Cause Title: Ms. Rajni Thareja Vs. Atulaya Healthcare & Ors.
Case No: DC/AB1/44/CC/229/2021
Coram: Mr. Amrinder Singh Sidhu (President). Mr. B.M. Sharma (Member)
