KUALA LUMPUR: A customer service manager was shocked when she found that her cellphone was stolen while she was accompanying her sick daughter at Tawakal Hospital.

Not satisfied that such a thing could happen in a single room of a private hospital, Kavitha Annamalai, 32, filed a claim for compensation at the Consumer Claims Tribunal.

“I've been using the same phone number for the last 10 years and because of this incident, I have lost all my contact numbers.

“If my phone had gone missing while I wasn't in the room, then I would have taken full responsibility but in this case, the phone was beside me when it got stolen,” she told the tribunal on Friday.

In its defence, Tawakal Hospital area manager Paramjit Kaur said the claimant had signed a release form upon admitting her daughter for diarrhoea.

“We have pamphlets distributed to all our patients upon admittance stating that mobile phones are not allowed in the building. Apart from that, every room has a notice stating clearly that the hospital will not be held responsible for personal belongings that go missing,” Paramjit Kaur said.

Kavitha replied that the hospital should have informed its clients verbally that mobile phones were not allowed.

The tribunal dismissed Kavitha’s claim.

Its president Hussain Mohamed Dewa said the hospital could not be held responsible for the theft as the release forms, pamphlets and notices in every room were sufficient in reminding clients to take care of their belongings.

In another case, the tribunal ordered a developer to pay nearly RM15,000 to two claimants when it failed to have a representative present at the hearing.

Hussain ordered Celt Sdn Bhd to pay RM8,888 to Norizan Zuraida Mat Nor and RM5,988.80 to Sallehuddin Mat within 14 days of the award.

Both claimants filed their claims against the developer to obtain the deposit they had paid for a double-storey house and an apartment respectively of which construction had yet to begin.