A private hospital in Bihar allegedly refused to hand over the body of a patient whose relatives failed to pay the hospital bill, and only released the body after Madhepura MP Pappu Yadavs party men intervened.

Dr Sahjanand Prasad Singh, president of the state chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), said hospitals must hand over a body to the patients kin even if bills remain unpaid. "A hospital should in no circumstance hold a body hostage.

Patients are no commodity. A body cant be retained; it has to be cremated as per personal law. The hospital can file a money suit later or take other steps for recovery of unpaid money.