Private Hospital in Ludhiana Withholds Patient’s Body for 14 Hours Over Outstanding Bill

Ludhiana, Punjab: In a shocking incident, a private hospital in Ludhiana allegedly refused to release a deceased patient’s body for 14 hours over an unpaid medical bill. The matter was resolved only after intervention by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), which directed the hospital to waive the pending dues and hand over the body to the family.

Patient Background
The deceased, Amar Joshi, was undergoing treatment for a liver disease. He was declared dead at 5:00 AM on Thursday. Amar’s brother, Sonu Joshi, a priest supporting a large family of 25 members, described the hospital’s actions as “unbearably cruel” during their period of grief. The family claims that despite already paying over ₹11 lakh for an unsuccessful liver transplant procedure, the hospital demanded the remaining ₹6.6 lakh before releasing the body.

Delay and Intervention
According to reports, the hospital retained the body until 7:00 PM, during which the family sought assistance from social organizations. The deadlock was broken when the Sikh Welfare Council approached the PSHRC. Representative Baljinder Singh contacted commission member Jatinder Singh Shanti, who issued direct orders to the district administration and hospital management. Initially, the hospital had even requested a post-dated cheque to secure the pending amount. Upon guidance from the human rights commission, the hospital ultimately agreed to waive the dues and release the body.

Legal Perspective
Legally, hospitals are prohibited from withholding a deceased patient’s body over unpaid bills. Activists have often criticized such practices as “body hostage” tactics. While the hospital has complied with the commission’s instructions, it has not issued any formal statement regarding the delay and declined to comment on the incident.