Five, Including Doctors, Suspended Over Infant’s Death at Gauhati Medical College

Quick Summary

• The Assam Government has suspended five staff members, including two senior doctors, from Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) following the death of a four-day-old infant in the neonatal ICU on August 18.
• The newborn, admitted for infection and jaundice, was found hanging from medical equipment wires in the ICU.
• Suspended staff include Doctors Anupama Deka and Dipankar Hazarika,nurses Gomti Devi and Chandana Nath,and ICU technician Ishanjyoti Talukdar. Suspension duration is six months.
• Reasons for suspension include misleading probe officials and failure to maintain proper records.
• Two postgraduate trainees – Hrishikesh Thakuria (second year) and Pooja (first year), both from the Department of Paediatrics – were rusticated by Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences for misconduct, dereliction of duty, and attempts to manipulate hospital records.
• A letter to GMCH Principal Achyut Chandra Baishya outlined government displeasure over lapses and directed measures to prevent recurrence.
• Assam Chief Minister himanta Biswa Sarma pledged strict accountability during an earlier statement after the incident.

Read more

Indian Opinion Analysis

The tragic death highlights serious lapses in healthcare management within critical medical facilities like neonatal ICUs. While suspensions indicate that authorities are taking steps toward accountability, it underscores systemic vulnerabilities such as improper recordkeeping or insufficient oversight that can compromise patient safety.

This action by the Assam Government sets a precedent for addressing negligence but also poses broader questions about structural deficiencies in state-run hospitals. Safeguarding against such incidents requires robust protocols not only for care delivery but also for openness during investigations. Greater oversight mechanisms may need implementation across other hospitals if this case indicates wider systemic shortcomings.

Accountability alone will not suffice; sustained efforts toward training staff rigorously may be required and also investment into advanced monitoring systems across sensitive departments like pediatric ICUs moving forward.