Guwahati: The Assam Government’s health department suspended seven staff members for misleading the probe and failing to maintain records following an infant’s death.
Reports state that the tragic death of a four-day-old infant at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) sparked outrage across the state.
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In response, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered a high-level probe and directed the government to suspend multiple staff members for negligence and misconduct.
Doctors admitted the infant, daughter of Sinta Deka and Utpal Boroloi, with jaundice, and she allegedly fell from a phototherapy machine in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) recently.
Sarma called the incident “deeply painful and shameful,” adding, “Such a lapse is unacceptable. This is not just a mistake; it is also a crime, intentional or unintentional.”
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The Chief Minister appointed a three-member inquiry panel, including the Director of Medical Education, an Additional Chief Secretary, and an AIIMS official, and tasked them with submitting their findings within four days. He admitted negligence occurred despite adequate infrastructure, noting that three babies had been placed on one machine. “Since 2006, I have never come across such an incident,” he remarked.
Following the inquiry, authorities suspended seven staff members for six months, including senior doctors Dr. Anupama Deka and Dr. Dipankar Hazarika, Nurse-in-Charge Gomti Devi, ICU technician Ishanjyoti Talukdar, and others, for misleading the probe and failing to maintain records.
Additionally, Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences (SSUHS) rusticated two postgraduate trainees, Dr. Hrishikesh Thakuria and Dr. Pooja, for six months due to grave misconduct and tampering with hospital documents.
Sarma personally inspected the NICU and stated that the incident would damage GMCH’s reputation. He also met the bereaved parents at his office. To prevent future incidents, he directed all medical colleges to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) via video conferencing.
Established in 1960, GMCH is Assam’s premier medical institute. However, this tragedy has cast a shadow over its credibility and raised fresh concerns about hospital safety.