(1) Any person may make a complaint to the Complaints Officer, within three months from the date that the person making the complaint became aware of the alleged violation of the Act in the establishment:
Provided that the Complaints Officer may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, extend the time limit to make the complaint by a further period of three months, if he is satisfied that circumstances prevented the complainant from making the complaint within the stipulated period.
(2) Every complaint shall be made to the Complaints Officer in writing in the Form set annexed to these rules:
Provided that where a complaint cannot be made in writing the Complaints Officer shall render all reasonable assistance to the complainant to reduce the complaint in writing.
(3) The Complaints Officer may receive complaint made in person, or by post or telephonically or in electronic form:
Provided that the establishment shall within a period of thirty days of appointing the Complaints Officer, establish a method for receipt of complaints in electronic form either through dedicated website, webpage or by providing an official email address for the submission of complaints to the Complaints Officer.
(4) The Complaints Officer shall, on receipt of a complaint, provide an acknowledgment to the complainant and record the Complaint in a register to be kept solely for that purpose.
(5) The time of the complaint and the action taken on the complaint shall be entered in a register.
(6) Every complaint shall be numbered sequentially in the register.
(7) The Complaints Officer shall act in an objective and independent manner while deciding complaints made under the Act.
(8) The Complaints Officer shall decide a complaint promptly and in any case within seven working days:
Provided that in case of emergency or in the case of healthcare establishment where the complaint relates to discrimination in the provision of, or access to health care services or provision of universal precautions, the Complaints Officer shall decide the complaint on the same day on which he receives the complaint.