Bhopal, Aug 31 (IANS): Bhopal District Collector Ashish Singh on Saturday instructed private hospitals not to withhold the body on the grounds of unpaid medical bills.

Chairing a meeting with the representatives of private hospitals in the capital city, Singh instructed that the issue of pending bills (of the deceased person) should be resolved after handing over the body to the family or attendant.

The move comes after a private hospital allegedly refused to handover the body of a 20-year-old youth, who died in a road accident late on Friday.

The youth, who was hit by a speeding car in the Govindpura area in Bhopal was rushed to City Hospital for treatment, where he died.

As the youth's family members and friends were not handed over his body, they created a ruckus in the hospital and allegedly thrashed security persons and some other medical staff members.

Doctors and other medical staff reportedly had run from the hospital to save their lives.

The situation could be brought under control after the local police reached the spot and the body was handed over to the deceased's family late on Friday.

After the incident, the representatives of private hospitals in the city raised their concern over the safety of doctors and other medical staff, post which the District Collector took cognisance of the matter and chaired a meeting on the issue.

During the meeting, he said the district administration will ensure the safety of doctors and other medical staff at work premises.

He assured that guidelines would be framed mentioning the number of attendants allowed with the patients.

Doctors associated with private and government hospitals across Madhya Pradesh have raised their security concerns.

Doctors associations had recently staged a protest following West Bengal's rape and murder tragedy.

Doctors called off their strike with assurance from the Madhya Pradesh High Court that it would instruct the state government to frame guidelines for the safety of doctors and other medical staff at work premises.