Section 84 - Code on Social Security Act, 2020

84. Medical examination.-

(1) Where an employee has given notice of an accident, he, shall, if the employer, before the expiry of three days from the time at which service of the notice has been effected, offers to have him examined free of charge by a medical practitioner, submit himself for such examination, and any employee who is in receipt of a half-monthly payment under this Chapter shall, if so required, submit himself for such examination from time to time:

Provided that an employee shall not be required to submit himself for examination by a medical practitioner at more than such frequent interval as may be prescribed by the State Government.

(2) If an employee, on being required to do so by the employer under sub-section (1) or by the competent authority at any time, refuses to submit himself for examination by a medical practitioner or in any way obstructs the same, his right to compensation shall be suspended during the continuance of such refusal or obstruction unless in the case of refusal, he was prevented by any sufficient cause from so submitting himself.

(3) If an employee, before the expiry of the period within which he is liable under sub-section (1) to be required to submit himself for medical examination, voluntarily leaves the vicinity of the place in which he was employed without having been so examined, his right to compensation shall be suspended until he returns and offers himself for such examination:

Provided that where such employee proves before the medical practitioner that he could not so submit himself for medical examination due to the circumstances beyond his control and he was also handicapped to communicate such information in writing, the medical practitioner may after recording such reasons in writing, condone the delay and his right to compensation shall be revived as if no such suspension was made.

(4) Where an employee, whose right to compensation has been suspended under sub-section (2) or sub-section (3), dies without having submitted himself for medical examination as required by either of those sub-sections, the competent authority may, if he thinks fit, direct the payment of compensation to the dependants of the deceased employee.

(5) Where under sub-section (2) or sub-section (3), a right to compensation is suspended, no compensation shall be payable in respect of the period of suspension, and, if the period of suspension commences before the expiry of the waiting period referred to in clause (ii) of sub-section (4) of section 76, the waiting period shall be increased by the period during which the suspension continues.

(6) Where an injured employee has refused to be attended by a medical practitioner whose services have been offered to him by the employer free of charge or having accepted such offer has deliberately disregarded the instructions of such medical practitioner, then, if it is proved that the employee has not thereafter been regularly attended by a medical practitioner or having been so attended has deliberately failed to follow his instructions and that such refusal, disregard or failure was unreasonable in the circumstances of the case and that the injury has been aggravated thereby, the injury and resulting disablement shall be deemed to be of the same nature and duration as they might reasonably have been expected to be if the employee had been regularly attended by a medical practitioner, whose instructions he had followed, and compensation, if any, shall be payable accordingly.