The news is that the 12 patients, who were held hostage by the Frontier Lifeline Hospital in Chennai for not paying the bills for the services rendered to them, were discharged on Saturday.

As per the agreement reached between the two parties, the hospital officials allowed the children with heart-related ailments to return to Guyana on condition that their NGO would clear all medical expenses within the next six months.

Previously the hospital had warned to take a legal action against the Guyanese NGO.

Confirming the development, K. M. Cherian (Chairman, Frontier Lifeline Hospital) said: "On the assurance from the NGO to settle the dues in six months time, the children have been permitted to go."

Cherian added that the dues add up to nearly Rs. 45 lakh (Rs. 4.5 million/$90,000).

It should be recalled here that a Guyanese NGO, Kids First Fund bought children to Frontier Lifeline Hospital in Chennai earlier this month.

The NGO, Kids First Fund is being run by Varshnie Singh, a former first lady of the Carribean Republic.

The children and two adults were about to leave the hospital on Friday night when they were stopped by hospital authorities who persisted Singh to settle the bills for surgeries before they left.

Singh has been sending children for heart surgery for the past four years to the hospital.

According to Singh, the past practice has been to settle the dues after returning to Guyana.

Commenting over this with the media persons, Singh said that the hospital had changed the payment system and the children were detained at the institute.

However, the hospital authorities said that the system was changed after the NGO defaulted on the payment last time.