Crackdown on frivolous, costly funeral services

The Beijing Municipal Health Commission said on Monday that profit-making funeral service providers operation in hospital mortuaries have been banned in the wake of an investigation earlier this month into a high-profile case at a morgue found charging exorbitant funeral fees.

The commission urged relevant departments to strengthen the inspection and management of morgues to protect the public interest.

Bereaved family members requiring funeral services should contact funeral parlors in Beijing for proper service, it said.

On April 8, a Beijing resident reported to a local radio station that he had been charged 38,570 yuan ($6,050) for the use of the morgue at Peking University Third Hospital, which had been outsourced, to store his wife's body for less than three days.

Most of the cost came from unnecessary services, such as a 5,990 yuan fee for 'spa services' for the deceased.

A joint investigation later found that the fees charged by the morgue's external contractor were not transparent and that it had failed to follow the reference prices set by the government. The hospital failed to supervise the outsourced company as required by the contract. The case is under further investigation.

The commission said that hospitals should fulfill their supervisory responsibilities, closely examine the qualifications of funeral service providers, and regularly check whether they are engaged in services beyond their scope, violating service charge policies or failing to publicize service information.

Hospitals that fail to supervise and manage the violations of funeral service providers in their employ shall bear management responsibility once violations are confirmed.