Rehab centre fined for unfair trade practices, compensation of Rs 5 lakh to complaint

Serenity Foundation in Secunderabad was asked to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs by the Telangana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for indulging in unfair trade practices.

Serenity foundation, a rehabilitation centre in Secunderabad, was accused of resorting to unethical, illegal and unfair trade practices by R Vijay Kumar, a resident of Kacheguda who works in a Bengaluru-based software company.

Vijay Kumar’s family had earlier paid a fee of Rs 67,345 to the rehab centre after he was admitted there to help him overcome his alcohol addiction.

However, the complaint said that Vijay Kumar was ill-treated and tortured physically and mentally at the rehabilitation centre.

The complaint further said that the rehabilitation centre was overcrowded with patients and lacked proper facilities for the inmates.

In addition to this, the centre was also accused to have violated the terms and conditions with the absence of



24-hour psychiatrist counselling.

Vijay’s family also claimed that the patient had suffered pain due to a fracture in the right wrist due to a lack of proper medication.

The facility was being run by a general physician hailing from Nellore who never visited Hyderabad and they were was only one attendant to take care of all the inmates, the complainant said.

The forum after hearing the case observed that the rehab centre was expected to render services with full-time attention and care to the patients. “They are addicts and need lots of counselling by specialists,” it said.

A declaration was finally made by the forum which found Serenity Foundation guilty of deficient services and unfair trade practices by running a rehabilitation centre without proper facilities and a qualified psychiatrist.

The forum hence directed the rehabilitation centre to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to Vijay and a legal cost of Rs 20,000 within 30 days.