Members across party lines on Friday expressed strong resentment in the State Assembly that private hospitals operating in Bhubaneswar are not abiding by the directions of courts and the Governments and are harassing poor patients.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, BJP member Bishnu Charan Sethi brought to the notice of the House that the AMRI Hospitals didn’t hand over the dead body of a patient of Ganjam district, Debraj Panda, as the family could not pay balance due of Rs 99,000 on Thursday.
“Recently, the Kalinga Hospital and the Apollo Hospital had troubled BPL people by not handing over dead bodies of their kin. Yesterday, the AMRI Hospitals didn’t hand over the body of Debraj Panda. While the Government of India and the High Court have already directed that private hospitals can’t keep dead bodies for nonpayment of dues and the State Government has given lands worth crores of rupees to provide provide free treatment to poor people in 10 per cent of indoor wards and 25 per cent outdoors, why the hospitals will not abide by directions and agreements,” lamented Sethi.
Terming the incidents of private hospitals not handing over dead bodies as very sensitive, Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra said a dead man has a fundamental right of dignity and, thus, the private hospitals must abide by direction of the court and Government.
Leader of Opposition Pradipta Kumar Nayak sought a clarification from the Government from the Speaker in this regard.
As Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro called a meeting of the Health Minister and Leader of Opposition to discuss the matter, BJP members rushed into the Well of the House and shouted slogans.
However, they returned to their seats after the Speaker assured that he would certainly hold discussion with the Minister and the Leader of Opposition to take appropriate action in those matters.
Later, BJD leader Pradeep Maharathy too expressed concern over the incidents in which private hospitals are not handing over bodies of deceased poor people in the hospital.