The Punjab Government has issued comprehensive guidelines to all government and private healthcare institutions across the state to ensure the protection of human rights, dignity of deceased persons, and improvement in medico-legal and mortuary services.The directions, issued by the Directorate, Health and Family Welfare, are aimed at ensuring compliance with recommendations of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, and provisions of various laws and Article 21 of the Constitution.A major highlight of the guidelines is the strict prohibition on withholding dead bodies due to non-payment of hospital bills or any other pending charges. All hospitals, nursing homes and clinical establishments have been directed to release the bodies of deceased without delay, irrespective of outstanding dues. Healthcare institutions have also been instructed to prominently display notices in Punjabi, Hindi and English stating that no dead body shall be withheld on account of pending payments.The Directorate has further directed institutions to maintain proper mortuary cold-chain systems, ensure electrical safety standards, install digital temperature monitoring systems and appoint designated nodal officers for effective management and preservation of dead bodies.It has also issued directions to strengthen and standardise medico-legal services across the state. The instructions focus on improving the quality of medico-legal reports and ensuring the use of a unified digital platform for preparing and maintaining such records. All civil surgeons, medical superintendents and medical education institutions have been instructed to implement the guidelines immediately.