PGIMER Chandigarh shops face ₹50,000 fine for overcharging, selling expired goods

Chandigarh. A shop inside PGIMER that overcharges a patient or fails to put up its rate list will now pay ₹50,000 for every such violation, five times the earlier fine of ₹10,000.

Selling spurious, soiled, damaged or expired products will also attract a ₹50,000 fine each time. Such shops can also have their licence suspended or cancelled.

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) announced the revised penalties on Thursday. They apply to all shops and commercial establishments on its campus.

“A hospital is a place where patients and their families should feel safe, respected and cared for,” said PGIMER Director Prof Vivek Lal. Shops on campus, he said, must not add to the troubles of people already dealing with illness. He added that the new fines send “a clear message that violations of prescribed standards will not be taken lightly”.

The fine for a dirty or unhygienic shop has gone up from ₹5,000 to ₹20,000. Shops that sell poor-quality goods or do not issue bills will face stricter action. The rules also cover encroachment, improper waste disposal, fire safety, smoking on campus, cleanliness and keeping the hospital environment peaceful.

PGIMER said serious violations may also lead to legal action, on top of the penalties it imposes. Repeat and serious offenders face suspension or cancellation of their licences.

“Thousands of patients and attendants visit PGIMER every day, and many depend on the shops and other facilities within the campus for their daily needs,” said Pankaj Rai, Deputy Director (Administration). “They should not have to worry about being overcharged, buying unsafe products or finding unhygienic surroundings.”

Rai warned that repeat violations “can have serious financial and regulatory consequences”.

A committee headed by Rai reviewed the old penalties. It met on October 16 and recommended much higher fines to improve enforcement and discourage violations.

The institute said the aim is to stop shops from treating fines as a routine cost of doing business. It wants every shop on campus to follow the rules on service, hygiene, transparency and safety at all times.

Patient convenience, consumer protection and safety are “non-negotiable”, the institute said. Any shop that compromises on these will face strict action.