The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday issued show cause notice to Jehangir Hospital, Pune, for allegedly delaying the handing over of the dead body of a deceased patient to his family; officials said.
The notice, a copy of which has been seen by Hindustan Times, reads: “An explanation must be submitted to the health department within 24 hours of receipt of this notice stating why there was a delay in handing over the body to the relatives. Failure to respond within the stipulated period will invite action under the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949.”
The PMC health department issued the notice, citing possible violation of provisions under the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949, and state government guidelines. The civic body asked the hospital to submit an explanation within 24 hours regarding the circumstances that led to the delay; said Dr Nina Borade, health chief, PMC.
According to officials, the deceased, Nilesh Chandrabhan Chattar, 31, a resident of Munjaba Vasti, Dhanori, was admitted to Jehangir Hospital on May 16 at around 10 am. He died at 11.05 pm that same night while undergoing treatment. However, the dead body was allegedly held hostage till such time the insurance approval was received, forcing the grieving relatives to wait through the night.
The PMC stated that as per the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949, hospitals are required to hand over the body of a deceased patient to the relatives without undue delay. The aforementioned notice also refers to the Maharashtra government notification dated January 14, 2021, and states that there appears to be a violation of rule 11 (L) of the Nursing Act; Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health chief of the PMC, said.
{{/usCountry}}The PMC stated that as per the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949, hospitals are required to hand over the body of a deceased patient to the relatives without undue delay. The aforementioned notice also refers to the Maharashtra government notification dated January 14, 2021, and states that there appears to be a violation of rule 11 (L) of the Nursing Act; Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health chief of the PMC, said.
{{/usCountry}}According to officials and the information shared by the deceased’s family, Chattar was the only son in the family. His father had died barely a month ago. The family alleged that despite the patient having insurance coverage, the hospital collected a ₹50,000 deposit at the time of his admission. Relatives further alleged that the total bill generated within nearly 13 hours of treatment was ₹3.25 lakh though they claimed that no major surgery had been performed. The family has alleged that the hospital refused to release the body till such time insurance approval was received, forcing the grieving relatives to wait through the night.
Refuting the allegations, Jehangir Hospital issued a statement that it will revert to the notice. “The patient expired around midnight. To support the family, the body was kept in the mortuary overnight and handed over in the morning as per their request. The insurance process was also expedited during this difficult time, and a concession/discount was provided to assist the family,” the hospital statement read.