West Bengal Hospitals Ordered to Release Bodies Promptly

The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has issued a directive to private hospitals and nursing homes, mandating the release of deceased patients' bodies within five hours to their families. The move addresses rising allegations of hospitals withholding bodies over unpaid bills or insurance delays.

Issuing the order, the commission emphasized that retaining bodies due to financial disputes is unethical. It outlined that in cases of unpaid dues, hospitals should inform the WBCERC, which will handle the recovery process. Exceptions to the five-hour requirement are allowed only if the family requests more time due to travel delays from relatives.

This regulatory action follows a specific complaint from Mudasir Parvez, whose relative's body was detained in Kolkata over an insurance payment issue. In response, WBCERC officials launched an investigation and warned that hospitals failing to comply risk losing their licenses.

(With inputs from agencies.)