Assam nursing home allegedly withholds patient's body over Rs 5.25 lakh medical bill
Jorhat: A nursing home in Assam’s Jorhat has come under scrutiny after it allegedly refused to hand over the body of a deceased patient to his family over unpaid medical bills amounting to Rs 5.25 lakh.
The incident reportedly took place at City Orthopaedic Nursing Home, where the man, a resident of Telgaram in Numaligarh, was admitted following an accident. He died at around 2 am, leaving his family struggling to arrange the payment demanded by the facility.
According to a post shared on X, the nursing home raised a bill of Rs 5.25 lakh for the treatment. The family reportedly paid Rs 1.20 lakh but could not immediately clear the remaining amount.
Speaking to Northeast Live, a family member said the total bill had reached Rs 5.25 lakh and acknowledged that a substantial amount was still outstanding. The family appeared to be seeking an arrangement with the hospital authorities to settle the dues.
The incident has raised concerns over the reported refusal to hand over the body because of unpaid medical expenses, adding to the distress of a family dealing with the death of a relative.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged withholding of the body, including the nursing home’s position on the outstanding bill and whether any payment arrangement was offered, could not be independently established from the available information.
In a related development, the Karnataka government has announced plans to frame a policy prohibiting hospitals from withholding patients’ bodies over unpaid medical bills. The state is also moving to improve transparency in hospital billing by requiring facilities to display procedure charges and provide clearer details of treatment costs.
