Indian Hospital Releases Deceased Bangladeshi Citizens Body Following High Commission Intervention
A private hospital in India's technology hub of Bengaluru reportedly withheld the mortal remains of a Bangladeshi national for eight days over an unpaid medical bill, before the body was finally released following diplomatic intervention.
According to Indian media reports, the deceased was 32-year-old Mohammad Abdul Hakim Sabuj, a contractual government school teacher from Bangladesh's Naogaon district. He had traveled to Bengaluru on September 5 alongside his wife, Tanzila Islam Asha, to seek advanced medical treatment for a kidney ailment. He was admitted to Manipal Hospital along the Old Airport Road on September 6.
Relating the sequence of events, Ms Asha stated that her husband developed severe respiratory distress and chest pain shortly after admission, necessitating intensive care unit (ICU) support. She claimed to have paid a cumulative total of 750,000 Indian Rupees in installments as demanded by the hospital at various stages of treatment.
The situation deteriorated on September 14 when doctors reportedly detected an infection in Sabuj's right leg, requiring an amputation. Despite medical procedures, his condition worsened, and he died on the afternoon of September 18.
Following his death, Ms Asha alleged that hospital authorities refused to release the body, demanding an additional outstanding medical bill of 3.579 million Indian Rupees, while also withholding her passport. She further claimed that the hospital failed to provide receipts for the 750,000 rupees she had already deposited and did not disclose the total estimated treatment costs beforehand.
Facing distress, the grieving widow sought urgent assistance from the Bangladesh High Commission in India. Through diplomatic efforts and local support, the hospital ultimately handed over the body to the family on September 26. Mohammad Moktadir Hossain, a friend accompanying the couple, confirmed that no additional payments beyond the initially deposited 750,000 rupees were made to secure the release of the body and the passport.
Meanwhile, an official at Manipal Hospital confirmed the eventual handover of the remains but refrained from making an immediate statement regarding the allegations of withholding the body. In a subsequent official statement, the hospital asserted that Sabuj was admitted with acute respiratory distress and critically low oxygen levels, noting that he suffered a cardiac arrest upon ICU admission and was subjected to multiple resuscitation attempts, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and mechanical ventilation.
