Don't hold bodies for unpaid bills

The High Court yesterday ordered hospitals and clinics not to hold any deceased's body if his or her family fails to pay the medical bill.

It asked the health secretary and the director general of the Directorate General of Health Services to issue a circular in this regard.

The court also directed them to create a fund for paying the medical bill if any poor people died in a hospital or clinic.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan came up with the directive after hearing a writ petition moved by advocate Manzill Murshid on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

He filed the petition with the HC in June 2012 after the Bangla daily Jugantor had published a report on June 10, 2012, mentioning that City Hospital in the capital's Mohammadpur did not hand over the body of a baby boy to his parents as they failed to clear the medical bill.

The HC yesterday also ordered the City Hospital authorities to give Tk 5,000 to Anjuman Mufidul Islam, a social and charitable organisation, which buried the child's body.

According to the newspaper report, Rokeya Begum, of Digda village in Gazipur's Kapasia, gave birth to a baby boy on May 27, 2012. The baby became sick and his father Saiful Islam admitted him to the City Hospital. The baby died on June 7.

The child's medical bill stood at Tk 42,000, but his parents could pay only Tk 15,000. As his parents failed to clear the medical bill, the hospital authorities refused to hand over the body. So, his parents had to leave the body in the hospital, the report added.

Later, Anjuman Mufidul Islam buried the child.

Contacted, Manzill Murshid said the HC in its order described the hospital authorities' refusal to hand over the child's body to his parents as inhuman and a violation of human rights.