Demonetization: Hospital refuses Union Minister Sadanand Gowda his brother's body, asks for new notes

Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda has become the latest victim of the demonetization drive after the administration of the Kasturba Manipal Hospital in Mangaluru refused to accept old currency notes to clear pending bills for handing over the body of his brother.

Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation Sadananda Gowda's brother Bhaskar Gowda was receiving treatment in the hospital for severe jaundice for the last 10 days and breathed his last on Tuesday afternoon.

When the Union Minister, accompanied by his family members, friends, arrived at the hospital to take the body, he cleared Rs 60, 000 pending bills with old Rs 500 and Rs1000 notes, which the hospital authorities declined to accept.

When the hospital refused to accept, Gowda cited the Central Government's directive, according to which hospitals have been asked to accept old currencies till November 24, but in vain. Thus, he asked the hospital management to give in writing that they would not accept the old currency notes.

They finally accepted the payment through a cheque, refusing to give anything in writing.

Upset by the attitude of the hospital administrators, the minister said an inquiry will be ordered. "The central government has given clear directive that all private hospitals can accept old currency notes till November 24. If hospitals refuse to accept old notes, then the patients will face a lot of problems. The hospital's stance was not right," said Gowda.