Nurse in Udupi gets Rs 13.49 lakh compensation after diagnostic error costs overseas job
Udupi (Karnataka), Jun 23 (PTI): A senior Nurse in Udupi was on Monday awarded Rs 13.49 lakh in compensation by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission after she lost a job opportunity in Saudi Arabia due to a false hepatitis C diagnosis.
Shivakumar Shettigar, 43, a qualified industrial nurse from Udupi, was slated to join the United Medical Response Company in the gulf nation this February.
However, a pre-departure medical test conducted at the National CT Scanner and Diagnostic Center in Mangaluru incorrectly indicated that he was positive for Hepatitis C, a condition that disqualifies candidates under Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) medical norms.
Distressed by the result, Shettigar underwent follow-up testing at a private lab in Manipal and at the district government hospital in Udupi, both of which confirmed he was negative.
Alleging negligence and the use of faulty kits, Shettigar moved the consumer forum, claiming the lab’s error cost him not only the job but also significant emotional and financial distress.
According to a court directive, after examining evidence and hearing both parties, the commission ruled in Shettigar’s favour on May 21, 2025, directing the diagnostic centre to pay Rs 13.49 lakh in damages within 45 days, with a 6 per cent annual interest applicable in case of default.
The compensation amount accounts for three years of lost income (estimated at Rs 82,584 per month), in addition to medical costs and mental agony.
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PM Modi arrives in Netherlands on second leg of his five-nation tour
Amsterdam (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday on the second leg of his five-nation tour, during which he will hold talks with his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten to further deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, defence and renewable energy.
The prime minister arrived in the Netherlands after a brief stopover of around two-and-a-half hours in the UAE, where he held talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
Modi's visit to the European nation from May 15 to 17 is his second trip to the country after his 2017 visit and comes at what officials described as an "important juncture" in India-Netherlands ties.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral talks with PM Jetten and will also meet King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
Modi is also expected to address the Indian community and interact with leading Dutch business leaders during the visit.
MEA officials said the visit carries a “rich and substantive agenda” and is expected to consolidate the strategic dimensions of the partnership that have emerged through sustained engagement between the two countries.
India and the Netherlands have significantly expanded cooperation in recent years beyond traditional sectors such as trade, investment and the priority areas of water, agriculture and health.
The partnership has grown in strategic sectors, including technology, innovation, defence, security, semiconductors, renewable energy, education and the maritime domain, the MEA said.
The Netherlands is one of India’s largest trade destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade valued at USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. It is also India’s fourth-largest investor, with cumulative foreign direct investment amounting to USD 55.6 billion, officials said.
People-to-people ties remain a key pillar of the bilateral relationship. The Netherlands is home to more than 90,000 non-resident Indians and persons of Indian origin, besides over 200,000 members of the Suriname-Hindustani community. Around 3,500 Indian students are currently enrolled in Dutch universities.
Officials noted that Modi's visit to the Netherlands and three other European nations -- Sweden, Norway, and Italy -- comes against the backdrop of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement finalised earlier this year and the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2025.
