Taking a note of unavailability of mortuary vans in government hospitals leaving attendants of diseased in a difficult situation, the Punjab government on Sunday announced free of cost mortuary van services in government hospitals.

Stating this on Sunday Punjab Health minister Brahm Mohindra said that all the government hospitals have been directed to provide mortuary van to family of deceased free of cost. “A form has got to be filled by the attendants to assess and keep in record whether the relatives or attendants of the deceased have adequate arrangement for transporting the body,” he said.

Minister also said till now there was no provision of providing mortuary van in states government hospitals. He said that in case of unavailability of mortuary van, the family members were helpless and had to face a pathetic situation. He said that similar incident was noticed in Jalandhar around one month ago, when a person carried his father's body on the ‘rehri’ (tri-cycle) to go to his residence.

“After I enquired the hospital administration about this particular incident and asked as to why hospital did not provide vehicle to the family member of deceased. The hospital administration said that there was no such provision and neither the state government had ever issued order to provide the vehicle in such cases,” said the minister.

He further said that in case the relatives or attendants of the dead person inform that they do not have adequate arrangements, then financial assistance up to Rs. 500 would also be given to the family for making arrangement for carrying the body.

new white sheet free of cost for wrapping the body would be ensured. This would also be applicable in case of unclaimed bodies brought by the police for post-mortem. He said that all expenses such as financial assistance as well as cost of bed sheet would be borne from out of the user charges of the hospital. In case, the hospital do not have adequate user charges, the funds would be provided from the emergency revolving fund of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation on the reimbursement bases but immediately expenses have got to be made by the hospital, said Mohindra.