PATNA, Feb. 7 -- The government on Friday warned of suspension and disciplinary action against health personnel found guilty of failing to provide hearse or ambulance services to families of the deceased, reiterating that free transportation of dead bodies was mandatory at government health facilities. The order, issued by Bihar health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh recalled earlier departmental directives of October 2016 and June 2017, which mandate free ambulance or hearse services in specified cases, including deaths occurring in government health institutions, accident victims, bodies brought by police for post-mortem, ration card holders, and other cases as determined by the medical superintendent or civil surgeon. The health department made it clear that unavailability of an ambulance at a hospital cannot be cited as a reason for denial. "If the hospital ambulance is busy, out of order or unavailable due to an emergency, the responsibility to arrange an alternative ambulance or hired vehicle will lie with the medical superintendent, civil surgeon-cum-chief medical officer, deputy superintendent or medical officer in-charge," Singh said in his order seen by Hindustan Times. According to the order, if the 102 hearse service is unavailable, hospitals must arrange a vehicle for transporting the body, with expenditure of up to Rs.2,000 to be reimbursed to the family. The payment will be made from the Rogi Kalyan Samiti fund, or any other available fund, and later adjusted through health department or the State Health Society. For transporting bodies outside the district, the 102 ambulance service will be used, with the district programme manager of the District Health Society designated as nodal officer. In post-mortem cases, stretchers, trolleys or hearses must be used to transport bodies within hospital premises, with the body kept covered with a white sheet, the health secretary's order said....