Guwahati, Sep 2: The Assam government has conveyed its “serious displeasure” to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) authorities over last month’s tragic incident in which a newborn died and three other babies were injured inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
In a strongly-worded letter, Siddharth Singh, Commissioner and Secretary to the Assam Government on Tuesday pulled up GMCH Superintendent Dr. Achyut Baishya and Additional Superintendent Dr. Pradip Kumar Das, asking them to ensure such incidents are not repeated.
“This includes, but is not limited to, strengthening supervision, ensuring strict adherence to all safety protocols and Standard Operating Procedures. You are also directed to be careful in the future and ensure that such incidents do not happen again,” the letter stated.
The hospital has been asked to submit a compliance report to the Health Department at the earliest. The GMCH administration has already suspended multiple medical personnel following an internal probe.
Those facing indefinite suspension include Dr. Anupama Deka, HoD of Pediatrics, and Associate Professor Dr. Dipankar Hazarika. Both will remain headquartered in Guwahati during the suspension period and are barred from engaging in private practice or professional work until further orders.
In addition, Nurse In-Charge Gomati Devi, staff nurse Chandana Nath, and NICU technician Ishan Jyoti Talukdar have also been suspended. Two more doctors – Dr. Hrishikesh Thakuria and Dr. Puja – were suspended for six months based on complaints filed by families of the affected infants.
The incident occurred in the labour and delivery wing of GMCH, where four to five newborns were allegedly kept on a single NICU bed, raising questions about the hospital’s safety and capacity.
One baby died while three others sustained serious injuries after reportedly falling from the NICU bed. Families of the victims accused the hospital of negligence and cited repeated lapses in supervision.
The case escalated after police detained an on-duty nurse, while the state government replaced the hospital superintendent. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also intervened, directing strict accountability and stronger safeguards to prevent recurrence of such tragedies at the state’s premier medical institution.
IANS