The South Delhi District Consumer Commission has directed a private hospital in Saket to pay Rs 5,000 to a patient who alleged that its canteen served him a chicken sandwich instead of the paneer sandwich he had ordered, violating his personal and religious beliefs.A bench president Monika A Srivastava, and member Kiran Kaushal also directed the hospital to maintain separate counters and barcodes for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.“It is highly unlikely that the patient suffering from liver disease, who visited the hospital to take the services of the doctor, would be interested in getting an invoice that was issued to a third person and filing a frivolous case against the opposite party,” the October 29 order said.The commission noted that the hospital had admitted an operational error resulting in the same barcode being assigned to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian sandwiches.Served roasted chicken sandwich instead of paneerThe complainant visited the Hospital for a routine health check-up as he was suffering from liver disease. After consulting a doctor, he went to the hospital‘s canteen and ordered a paneer sandwich, stating that he followed a vegetarian diet due to his personal and religious beliefs. However, he alleged that the canteen staff served him a roasted chicken sandwich instead.Also Read | No ambulance, 5-hour delay in critical patient’s transfer: Hospital to pay Rs 15 lakhAggrieved by the incident, he alleged that the hospital had violated his religious beliefs and caused him mental agony and emotional distress. He sent a legal notice to the hospital, alleging negligence in food services, but received no response. He then approached the consumer commission seeking a written apology and compensation for mental agony and emotional distress.The hospital denied the allegations, arguing that the bill did not establish that the complainant had ordered or been served a chicken sandwich. It also maintained that both vegetarian and non-vegetarian sandwiches had the same barcode due to a temporary system update, while separate counters were maintained for the two categories of food.Story continues below this adHospital had not denied mix-up: OrderThe ruling observed that the complainant had established his visit to the hospital in August 2024, through medical records and a canteen invoice issued on the same date. It noted that the hospital had not disputed the authenticity of the invoice but had questioned whether it belonged to the complainant.It further noted that the hospital had admitted an operational error resulting in the same barcode being assigned to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian sandwiches, and it failed to produce photographs or other evidence to substantiate its claim that separate counters were maintained for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.The commission pointed out that the hospital had not categorically denied that its staff might have served a chicken sandwich to the complainant by mistake.TakeawayThe commission highlighted the responsibility of hospitals to ensure that their canteens respect patients’ dietary and religious preferences. It also underscored the need for proper food segregation and accurate billing systems to prevent errors in serving vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.Story continues below this adConsumers facing similar grievances may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Delhi helpline: 011-23379146) or dial the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.Do not miss out on these stories: Student wins Rs 25,897 after Domino’s served non-vegetarian burger in ‘veg’ box during NavratriNo vegan meal on 10-hour flight despite ‘confirmation’, woman wins Rs 1 lakhMan wins Rs 1 lakh consumer payout after restaurant ‘hikes’ per head buffet price