Privacy Policy

About this Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information DrArpana.com – Homeopathy (“DrArpana.com”, “we”, “us”) collects through this website and during consultations, why we collect it, who we share it with, and what choices you have. Consultations are given by Dr. Arpana Samanta, BHMS, Gold Medalist.

It is published in line with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, as they apply to us. It is an electronic record and does not need a physical or digital signature.

By using this website, booking a consultation or sending us your information, you agree to this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the website.

Information We Collect

We collect only what we need for the purposes listed below.

• Enquiries and updates: your name, email address, phone number and message when you use the contact form or subscribe to health updates.
• Booking and consultation: your name, contact details, age, sex, city and country, and the health information and medical records you choose to share with Dr. Arpana, together with the consultation notes and prescriptions we create. Health information is sensitive personal information, and we treat it that way.
• Orders and payments: the plan you choose, the order amount and status, and your delivery address. Card, bank and wallet details are entered on the payment provider’s own secure page. We do not see or store them.
• Messages: what you send us by email, phone or WhatsApp.
• Technical information: your IP address, device and browser type, the pages you view and how you reached the site, collected through cookies and similar tools.

Children

We treat children, and many of our patients are children. Children do not book consultations, make payments or contact us on their own. A parent or guardian does this and is present during online consultations and clinic visits.

The information about a child is given by the parent or guardian, who consents to its use on the child’s behalf. We do not track or monitor the behaviour of children online and we do not direct advertising at them.

How We Use Your Information

• to provide consultations and the care you ask for, and keep the medical records that are part of your care;
• to book appointments, process payments and refunds, and deliver orders;
• to reply to your messages and send service messages about your booking or order;
• to send health updates, only if you subscribed (every email has an unsubscribe link);
• to keep the website secure, understand how it is used, and improve it;
• to measure and improve our advertising; and
• to meet legal, tax and professional record-keeping duties.

We do not sell your personal information.

Who We Share It With

We share information only with the service providers we need to run the practice, and only for that purpose. These are:

• payment providers;
• appointment booking and video consultation services;
• email, messaging and workflow services;
• website hosting and security services;
• couriers and postal services, who receive your name, address and phone number for delivery; and
• analytics and advertising services, as described under Cookies and Tracking.

These providers may store or process data on servers outside India. We choose providers who use appropriate security measures. We may also disclose information when a court, government agency or law requires it, or to protect our rights or the safety of others.

Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar tools. Some keep the site working. Analytics and advertising tools are different: they are loaded only if you press Accept in the cookie notice. They are Google Analytics, which measures visits, and the Meta Pixel, which measures whether our advertising works and helps show our advertisements to people who visited the website. If you press Reject, or make no choice, they are not loaded. We may add Google Ads in future, in the same way.

These tools receive information about how you use the website and about orders, for example that a purchase was made and its value. We do not send your medical details or consultation notes to analytics or advertising tools.

Your choice is saved on your device for 6 months, then we ask again. You can change it at any time with Cookie preferences in the footer of every page. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and manage advertising preferences in your Google and Meta account settings. The website works whichever you choose. We also use a simple visit counter from our hosting provider that does not use cookies.

How Long We Keep Information

• Medical records and prescriptions: at least 3 years after your last consultation, or longer if the law or professional rules require it.
• Order and payment records: for as long as accounting and tax laws require.
• Enquiries: as long as needed to deal with them, then deleted or anonymised.
• Health-update subscriptions: until you unsubscribe.

After that period we delete or anonymise the information, unless the law requires us to keep it.

Security

We use reasonable safeguards to protect your information against unauthorised access, change, disclosure or loss. Our systems use secure connections, and access to records is limited to people who need it and protected by passwords. No system or internet transmission is completely secure, so we cannot promise absolute security. If a breach affects your personal information, we will inform you and the authorities as the law requires.

Your Choices and Rights

You may write to support@drarpana.com at any time to:

• ask what personal information we hold about you and how it is used;
• ask us to correct or complete it;
• ask us to delete it (we may need to keep medical and accounting records for the periods above);
• withdraw your consent, for example by unsubscribing from health updates; or
• nominate someone to exercise these rights for you if you are unable to.

Withdrawing consent does not affect what we did lawfully before. If we need your information to provide a service, we may not be able to provide that service without it.

Links to Other Sites

This Policy covers this website only. We link to other sites, such as YouTube, social media and payment pages, that we do not control. Please read their privacy policies.

Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last changed. We use your information in line with the policy in force when it was collected, and we will tell you about changes that matter to you.

Complaints and Grievances

For any question, complaint or concern about your personal information, or to use the rights above, write to support@drarpana.com with the subject “Privacy”. This email address is our designated grievance contact. We acknowledge complaints within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within 30 days. If you are still not satisfied, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India as the law provides.