Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has earned Rs 3.66 crores by handing over unclaimed bodies to private medical colleges, according to data. This figure was since 2008, when a special provision was made for the transfer of dead bodies.
According to the data, a total of 1,122 bodies without claimants have been handed over to private medical colleges. Embalmed bodies are sold for Rs 40,000, while bodies without embalming fetch Rs 20,000. Ernakulam General Hospital leads the tally, having handed over 599 dead bodies. Other hospitals topping the list include Pariyaram Medical College (166), Thrissur Medical College (157), and Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (99).
In 2008, a special provision was introduced allowing private medical colleges to receive dead bodies without heirs for educational purposes. Prior to this, it was unknown where private medical colleges obtained bodies. Private medical colleges were established in Kerala in the early 2000s. According to the rule book, a medical college with 60 students should have five dead bodies for study purposes, equating to one dead body for every 12 students enrolled in medical colleges. This special provision followed lengthy legal battles in the High Court.
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