Home nursing agency fined Rs 24,000 for leaving bedridden woman unattended

Thrissur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has held Anna Matha Home Nursing Services guilty of deficiency in service after its nurse stopped attending a bedridden elderly woman without notice and the agency failed to provide a replacement. The commission ordered the agency to refund Rs 4,000, pay Rs 15,000 compensation, and Rs 5,000 litigation costs, totalling Rs 24,000.

Complainant Sindhu Paul had engaged the agency for a nurse to care for her aged and bedridden mother Leelamma Paul at St Anne's Sadan Old Age Home since August 2024, paying Rs 20,000 monthly. On February 15, 2025, the nurse abruptly stopped working. Despite Paul's repeated requests and police complaints, the agency only assured a replacement but never sent one. The agency did not contest the case and proceeded ex-parte.

The commission noted that failing to provide replacement nursing service after accepting payment is a serious lapse under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. It said the sudden discontinuance left the bedridden mother unattended, causing immense anxiety. The agency must pay the amounts within 45 days, with 9% annual interest from the complaint date if delayed.