By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The Nainital police on Tuesday said it would take action against a private hospital for recently refusing to hand over the body of a woman over an unpaid bill of Rs 80,000.
Seema Birodia (65), a resident of Almora district, died in Chandan Hospital Haldwani after two hours of treatment. But the hospital made a bill of Rs 80,000 and refused to hand over the body to family members.
The grieving family somehow managed to pay Rs 57,000 but the hospital refused to hand over the body. The hospital management even threatened to seize their car if the bill was not paid. After failing to get any local support, the family members finally sought help from Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manjunath TC.
On the intervention of the SSP, the hospital handed over the body and the death certificate to the family members.
“A human body deserves respect and cannot be used as a means of extortion. A hospital cannot treat a patient or their body as a commodity or an object. This is a very inhumane and cruel act, and such behavior will not be tolerated,” said the SSP.
He said that a written complaint has been received against the management of Chandan Hospital, and action will be taken against it.
Meanwhile, loud protests were held in Almora against the inhumane treatment of patients and the exorbitant billing practices at Chandan Hospital. Several local leaders and district panchayat members participated in the protest.
The protesters demanded that the government immediately seal the Chandan Hospital and all its associated pathological labs.