Privacy Policy

Welcome to MedicalSathi.org. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal and health-related information you share on our platform.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the safeguards we put in place to ensure your data remains secure. It is written to comply with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act") and the DPDP Rules, 2025.

Under the DPDP Act, MedicalSathi.org acts as the Data Fiduciary for the personal data you provide, and you (the user) are the Data Principal.

We collect information to provide a better, more supportive experience:

• Account Information: When you register, we collect your email address, username, and optionally, a profile picture.
• Community Contributions: Posts, stories, comments, and questions you share on the platform.
• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our platform (e.g., pages visited, time spent).
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, and operating system for security and performance monitoring.

We process your personal data on the basis of your explicit, informed consent, given when you check the consent box at registration. At that point we record the time consent was given and the version of this Privacy Policy you agreed to.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by deleting your account (see Your Rights & Choices). Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal, and may mean you can no longer use the platform, since an account is required to participate.

Your data is used strictly to enhance your experience on MedicalSathi:

• To provide, maintain, and improve our platform.
• To match you with relevant communities and stories based on your interests.
• To moderate content and ensure a safe, respectful environment.
• To communicate with you regarding account updates, security alerts, and platform news.

We do not sell your personal data. We only share information in the following limited circumstances:

• With Your Consent: When you choose to make your stories or profile public.
• Service Providers: We use trusted third-party services (like hosting providers) that are bound by strict confidentiality agreements.
• Legal Requirements: If required by law, or requested by the Data Protection Board of India, or to protect the safety and rights of our users or the public.

We do not knowingly transfer personal data outside India in a manner restricted by the Central Government under the DPDP Act.

We keep your personal data for as long as your account is active, so we can provide the service. If you delete your account:

• Your profile and account credentials are permanently deleted immediately.
• Stories, questions, and comments you posted remain visible (they are part of the shared community record and may help others), but are immediately re-attributed to "Deleted User" instead of your name.
• Community memberships, upvotes, and other account-linked activity records are permanently deleted immediately.

You can trigger this yourself at any time from your Profile page — see Your Rights & Choices.

We implement industry-standard security measures, including encryption and secure servers, to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We encourage you to use a strong password and keep your account details confidential.

As a Data Principal under the DPDP Act, you have the following rights over your personal data:

• Right to Access: Use Download My Data on your Profile page to get a copy of the personal data we hold about you, in machine-readable JSON format, at any time.
• Right to Correction: You can review and update your profile information (name, avatar, role, anonymity setting) at any time from your Profile page.
• Right to Erasure: Use Delete My Account on your Profile page to permanently delete your account and personal data — no need to contact support. See Data Retention for exactly what happens to your content.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Deleting your account withdraws your consent to processing.
• Right to Grievance Redressal: You can raise a complaint with our Grievance Officer (below), and if unresolved, with the Data Protection Board of India.
• Right to Nominate: You may nominate another individual to exercise these rights on your behalf in the event of your death or incapacity, by contacting our Grievance Officer.
• Anonymity: You can choose to post anonymously in specific communities.

MedicalSathi is intended for users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from someone under 18, we will delete it and deactivate the associated account. See our Terms of Service for our full eligibility policy.

In accordance with the DPDP Act, 2023, we have designated a Grievance Officer to address your questions or complaints about how your personal data is processed.

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please reach out to our privacy team.