The Hyderabad District Consumer Commission has ordered Kalpataru Ayurvedic Hospitals to refund an amount of Rs. 53,000 to a set of parents for the unused medicines and therapy sessions after their son died of colorectal cancer.
The Commission has also directed the hospital to pay compensation of Rs 10,000 and other legal costs.
President B Uma Venkata Subba Lakshmi and members C Lakshmi Prasanna and B Raji Reddy said that the couple was eligible for a refund and compensation for the mental torture that they had to go through after the death of their son.
An order passed on 9 September 2026 stated, “Withholding or refusing the refund, especially under such unfortunate circumstances involving the death of the patient before even consuming the medicines and the therapy sessions taken by the patient, unrendered therapy sessions, which not only amounts to unjust enrichment but also constitutes unfair trade practice on the part of the opposite party(hospital).”
The order also stated that despite multiple requests, the opposite party refused to refund the complainants for unused services and products. Furthermore, the opposite party failed to appear or contest the claim before this Commission, even after a public notice was published.
According to the October 14 report by The Indian Express, the notice sent by the Commission was returned with the endorsement “no such person at the address.” The hospital did not respond to the subsequent newspaper publication, and the matter proceeded ex parte, meaning the case was heard without the hospital contesting the complaint.
The old couple, a 64-year-old mother and a 67-year-old father, approached Kalpataru Ayurvedic Hospitals for an immunity-based treatment for their son, who was already battling colorectal cancer. Their son was going through chemotherapy at a different hospital, and his parents approached the Ayurvedic Hospital for an immunity-supportive treatment.
On 17 September 2025, the couple paid an amount of Rs. 58,300 to the Ayurvedic hospital to provide an alternative Ayurvedic-based treatment to their son. The fee covered medications, medical consultations, and 10 therapy sessions for a period of 3 months.
However, just two days after the payment, their son developed more health complications. He developed vomiting and an intestinal blockage. He was then shifted to emergency care, where he underwent surgery and was discharged on 6th October.
The parents said they officially informed the Ayurvedic hospital that their son had been admitted to the emergency room and was in critical condition.
Shortly after, the patient experienced a severe medical relapse and was rushed back to the hospital, where he tragically passed away from his condition on October 24.
After their son died, the couple went back to the Ayurvedic hospital and returned the unopened and unused medicines. They also asked for a refund on the services that could not have been provided because of their son’s death.
According to the reports, the parents had sent a lot of reminders to the hospital through WhatsApp, emails, and legal notice. However, the hospital failed to refund the funds even after constant reminders from the old couple.
The couple decided to approach the Consumer Commission after many failed attempts to get the refund.
The commission said that the hospital did not show up during the proceedings and was unable to provide any counter evidence.
After examining the submitted messages and formal notices, the commission held that the hospital's retention of the funds was wrongful, given that the family had provided timely notification.
The commission directed the hospital to refund Rs. 53,000 for the unused medicines and unavailed therapy sessions, subject to the return of the medicines. It also ordered the hospital to pay Rs. 10,000 towards compensation and legal expenses.
The commission noted that the hospital had provided no evidence of a valid legal, statutory, or contractual reason for withholding the refund.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)
