WBCERC directs Private hospitals not to withhold body over unpaid bills
Kolkata: In a move to address rising complaints against private hospitals, the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) is set to implement new
regulations prohibiting the practice of withholding dead bodies until the patients’ families clear dues.
Speaking at the eighth state
conference of the Progressive Nursing Home Association held in Kolkata, WBCERC
commissioner and retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Asim Banerjee
emphasized that private medical establishments must not delay the release of a
deceased person’s body over pending bills. He stressed that bodies should be
returned to the next of kin within a fixed timeframe following the patient’s
death.
According to The Statesman, he stated, “We are
planning to frame rules on how outstanding hospital bills are paid by relatives
of patients after the deaths of the latter at private hospitals and nursing homes
during treatments. We will also take clearance from the state government before the formation of the rules. But the release of a dead body should not be withheld by
private healthcare establishments by any means, not even by showing reasons for
non-payment of bills. At the same time, hospitals should not also withhold
indoor patients discharged by concerned doctors.”
Justice Banerjee
highlighted the need for 24/7 availability of trained nursing staff and
resident medical officers (RMOs) at all private hospitals and nursing homes,
underlining the importance of maintaining professional healthcare standards. He
also expressed concern over the alleged misuse of the state-run Swasthya Sathi
health insurance scheme by some private healthcare providers, urging them to
refrain from exploiting public funds for financial gain.
Launched in 2017, West
Bengal’s Clinical Establishment Act is unique to the state, with no equivalent
legislation found elsewhere in the country. The WBCERC, functioning as an
autonomous body under this Act, currently regulates between 5,000 and 7,000 private
hospitals and nursing homes across West Bengal. WBCERC is the apex body
overseeing treatment infrastructure in private hospitals and nursing homes
across the state, reports the Daily.
To prevent overcharging
by private hospitals, WBCERC had requested data from hospitals for the past
three years to determine the number of Swasthya Sathi patients treated at
private healthcare facilities. The direction came following complaints from
patients about inflated bills for surgeries and other amenities in private
hospitals.