New Delhi: The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) hospital authorities refused to release the patient's body after the family failed to pay for the procedure.
The family needs to pay a due amount of Rs 3.5 lakh to take back the body to their native place.
Reportedly, the daughter of the deceased man called police for the help but they refused to provide any support in the matter.
Anand Kumar Pandey, a resident of Gopalganj in Bihar went with his daughter to Delhi two months back for his liver treatment.
The family boar an expense of Rs 22 lakhs while he was undergoing the treatment of liver transplant in the hospital.
Anand's daughter said: "We already sold our property and valuable items to bear the cost of the treatment. I don't have even sufficient money to take back the body to our native place. How will I pay the money? I don't have a single penny left. Tell me, why I cannot get my father's body?"
Hospital keeps body after daughter fails to pay bill in Delhi Social jurist Ashok Aggarwal said: "Such cases usually happens in private hospitals. For the first time, I heard that a government hospital in Delhi is refusing to return the body as the family failed to pay a bill. Anand Kumar was BPL cardholder but the family has still managed to pay Rs 22 lakhs."
Citing example of Delhi High Court's decision in Ganga Ram hospital case, Aggarwal said: "The court said that the hospitals cannot detain a patient in the hospital even if dues are outstanding. The custody of patients cannot be withheld to extract money towards unpaid bills. The Delhi government and police must intervene in the matter."
The Delhi High Court has earlier directed that the hospitals cannot hold patients hostage to extract money for unpaid bills.
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