01 Introduction

Dr. Ankit Anand and GastroNova Clinic ("we", "us", or "our"), located in Jalandhar, Punjab, India, operate the website drankitanand.com. We are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of every individual who visits our website or engages with our services.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have in relation to your data. By continuing to use our website or submitting any inquiry or appointment request, you agree to the practices described in this Policy.

This Policy is compliant with India's Information Technology Act, 2000, the IT (Reasonable Security Practices and Sensitive Personal Data) Rules, 2011, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).

02 Information We Collect

We collect information in two ways: information you provide voluntarily, and information collected automatically when you use our website.

Information You Provide Voluntarily:

• Full name and contact details (phone number, email address)
• Appointment requests and preferred consultation times
• Health-related queries submitted via contact forms
• City or location details for routing to the right clinic
• Feedback, reviews, or testimonials you choose to submit
• Any additional information shared via WhatsApp or phone calls

Information Collected Automatically:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring URLs (how you arrived at our website)
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Cookies and local storage identifiers

We do not collect or store any financial information such as credit/debit card numbers, UPI IDs, or banking details through this website. Payments are handled separately and directly at the clinic.

03 How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used strictly for legitimate purposes related to patient care, clinic operations, and website improvement. We do not use your personal data for unsolicited commercial advertising.

• To schedule, confirm, or follow up on appointment requests
• To respond to health-related inquiries submitted through the website
• To send appointment reminders or post-consultation follow-ups (only when explicitly requested)
• To improve the quality and usability of our website based on aggregated usage data
• To ensure the security and integrity of our website and prevent fraudulent activity
• To comply with applicable laws, regulations, or court orders
• To conduct internal analytics and assess patient engagement with our digital content

We will never sell your information to third parties or add you to marketing lists without your clear, affirmative consent.

04 Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. In limited and specific circumstances, we may share your data with trusted parties as follows:

• Service Providers: Trusted technical partners who help operate our website such as hosting and analytics providers. They are contractually bound to keep your data confidential.
• Legal Obligations: When required by law, court order, or government authority.
• Medical Emergencies: If disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm to you or others.
• Referral Partners: If you are referred to another specialist with your explicit consent.

In all cases, only the minimum necessary information is shared, and we do not permit any third party to use your data for their own marketing purposes.

05 Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and analyse website performance. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.

• Essential Cookies: Required for basic website functionality such as form submissions and security.
• Analytics Cookies: Used by Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. All data is aggregated and anonymised.
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences for future visits.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. We do not use cookies for targeted advertising or cross-site tracking.

06 Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

• Our website is secured with HTTPS (SSL/TLS encryption)
• Access to personal data is restricted to authorised personnel only
• Forms and contact submissions are transmitted securely
• We regularly review and update our security practices

However, no method of data transmission or storage over the Internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach that affects your rights, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

07 Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

• Appointment and inquiry data: Retained for up to 3 years for continuity of care
• Website analytics data: Retained for up to 26 months (Google Analytics default)
• Email correspondence: Retained for up to 2 years unless legally required otherwise

Once data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer be associated with you.

08 Your Rights Under DPDP Act 2023

Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and applicable regulations, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data when it is no longer necessary
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time for processing based on consent
• Right to Grievance Redressal: Lodge a complaint with our designated grievance officer
• Right to Nominate: Nominate another individual to exercise your rights in case of incapacity or death

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@drankitanand.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

09 Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites such as hospital portals, medical directories, or social media platforms. These websites have their own privacy policies, and we have no control over and accept no responsibility for their content or practices.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party website you visit via a link from our website.

10 Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that their child has submitted personal information through our website without consent, please contact us immediately at info@drankitanand.com and we will delete such information promptly.

11 Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy. For significant changes, we may provide additional notice such as a prominent notice on our website.

12 Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the DPDP Act, 2023, the name and contact details of our Grievance Officer are:

• Name: Dr. Ankit Anand
• Designation: Grievance Officer
• Organisation: GastroNova Clinic, drankitanand.com
• Address: 448, GTB Nagar, Jalandhar — 144003, Punjab, India
• Email: info@drankitanand.com
• Phone: +91 7347058754
• Response Time: Within 30 days of receipt of complaint