Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that compassion, dignity, and transparency must be central to health services.
Punjab Govt Cracks Down on Private Hospitals to Safeguard Families’ Rights After Patient Deaths
The CM Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has announced strict, citizen-friendly norms for private hospitals in Punjab. These measures aim at protecting patients’ rights and ensuring humane practices across the state’s health sector.
Under new orders from the Health Department, all private hospitals must now have a mortuary facility to ensure that deceased patients are treated with respect and dignity. This provision aims to prevent situations where families in times of grief face issues in retrieving the bodies of their loved ones.
A key directive requires hospitals to hand over dead bodies to families even if hospital bills are unpaid. This rule protects families from potential harassment during moments of grief. The government introduced this guideline after reports came out of some private hospitals allegedly exploiting families in sensitive circumstances, such as a patient’s death. Health Department officials emphasised that these steps reflect the Mann government’s commitment to a people-centric healthcare system.
Private hospitals are also required to display clear notice boards outlining patients’ and families’ rights. These boards must be placed in prominent areas to increase awareness, ensure accountability, and enable people to assert their rights against any malpractice.
In cases of unclaimed or unidentified bodies, the district administration will assume responsibility for performing last rites. Local administration, police, and health department officials will coordinate to ensure these deceased individuals receive a dignified farewell. This initiative highlights the government’s emphasis on social responsibility and human values.
Additional monitoring teams will be deployed in private hospitals to ensure compliance with these norms. Regular inspections will be conducted, and strict action will be taken against institutions violating these regulations. The Health Department also plans to introduce a helpline where citizens can report grievances directly.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that compassion, dignity, and transparency must be central to health services. He assured that private hospitals will be held accountable, and the government will continue its efforts to guarantee quality healthcare for all, including the poorest, without any discrimination.
Further enhancements planned by the government are a robust complaint system, improved emergency care standards, and better coordination between public and private health facilities. District health officers have been instructed to ensure private hospitals in their regions comply with these guidelines, with the impact to be reviewed in the upcoming months.
Health sector experts and social workers have appreciated the guidelines, noting that such measures could have prevented past cases where unpaid bills delayed the release of bodies to families. They praised the government’s move as an important step toward protecting human values in healthcare.
The Aam Aadmi Party government, with the help of this initiative, has set a benchmark in Punjab for making health services more accountable, transparent, and compassionate. These norms could serve as a model for the rest of the country by prioritising patients’ rights and dignity.
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