Daijiworld Media Ne twork – Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Nov 8: A poor family got the feel of human concern still present in police department, when it could get custody of the body of a deceased member because of police intervention.

The officials at the government general hospital here had been insistent that the family has to pay freezer charges of Rs 6,000 before the body of its deceased member could be released to them from the mortuary. The policemen, who came to know of the incident, took up the issue with the district collector and helped the family to get the body.

Padmanabhan (54), a resident of Pattammal Veettil in Payyanur, had become extremely sick during his visit to the town recently. He was lying in the new bus stand area here on October 30. He was admitted into the general hospital in unconscious condition. Padmanabhan breathed his last on November 2, after which his body was kept in the mortuary.

After they got to know that their relative, Padmanabhan, had died, people close to Padmanabhan cam to the hospital to claim the body. But the officials insisted that they have to pay freezer charges before they could be allowed to claim the body. The poor family, which was helpless, was preparing to go back to their native place without the body, when arguments ensued between the family members and hospital authorities.

District superintendent of police, Thomson Jose, who came to know of the incident, intervened in the matter and held discussions with the district collector. After this, a decision to allow the family to claim the body without paying freezer charges was taken. The police also helped the family to transport the body by ambulance service run by an NGO.