Ludhiana: Rights panel takes cognisance of hospital withholding body over dues

The Punjab Human Rights Commission is investigating a hospital's refusal to release a body over unpaid dues, calling it a violation of human dignity.

ludhiana@hindustantimes.com

The DMCH authorities refused to comment on the issue saying that they haven’t received the notice yet. (HT Photo)

The Punjab State and Chandigarh (UT) Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of an incident where Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) here allegedly refused to hand over the body of a patient to his family over dues.

The hospital reportedly held the body of 31-year-old Gagandeed Singh who passed away at the hospital on Friday while undergoing treatment for a kidney-related ailment. The hospital allegedly refused to give his body to his family citing non-payment of a bill amounting to ₹1,16,000.

The commission has asked the civil surgeon, Ludhiana, and director, health and family welfare, to submit a report on the incident a week before the next hearing set for May 15.

Social activist Dr Kamaljeet Soi said that when he heard about the issue he escalated it to the Punjab Human Rights Commission and the body was only released on Saturday afternoon after a team from the commission intervened.

Dr Soi termed the act as “a blatant violation of human dignity, constitutional guarantees, and settled law. No hospital has the legal authority to detain a body for recovery of dues.”

He emphasised that such actions violate Article 21 of the Constitution of India which gives right to life includes right to dignity even after death.

Dr Soi said that the commission taking notice of the incident was only the beginning and that he would not stop until an FIR is registered against the hospital and an example is made of this case.

“My aim is to make sure that this case becomes an example and that no other private hospital ever does this to any other family again,” he said.

The DMCH authorities refused to comment on the issue saying that they haven’t received the notice yet.

Civil surgeon, Ludhiana, Dr Ramdeep Kaur didn’t respond to HT’s multiple calls and texts.