Assam: GMCH Suspends Doctors , Nurses After Tragedy That Claimed Infant's Life

Guwahati: Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has suspended multiple doctors, nurses, and staff members following the recent Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) tragedy that left three newborns seriously injured and one dead. The action comes after the hospital’s internal investigation committee submitted its findings.

Those suspended include Dr. Anupama Deka, Head of the Pediatrics Department, and Associate Professor Dr. Dipankar Hazarika, both of whom have been barred indefinitely from service. During the suspension period, the doctors will be headquartered in Guwahati and prohibited from engaging in private practice or any other professional work.

Nurse In-Charge Gomati Devi, staff nurse Chandana Nath, and ICU technician Ishan Jyoti Talukdar have also been suspended. Additionally, Dr. Hrishikesh Thakuria and Dr. Puja were suspended for six months based on complaints filed by the families of the affected infants.

The incident occurred last month in Ward No. 3 of GMCH’s labour and delivery department, where four newborns were reportedly accommodated on a single ICU bed. Three babies sustained severe injuries, including head trauma, after allegedly falling from their beds, while one infant died.

Bereaved families accused the hospital of routinely overcrowding the NICU, with four to five newborns placed in a single ICU box, while also alleging negligence, lack of proper security measures, and inappropriate behaviour from some staff.

Public outrage mounted after the tragedy, prompting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to intervene. An on-duty nurse had earlier been taken into custody as part of the investigation.

Hospital authorities have assured stricter monitoring of NICU operations going forward, though families continue to demand accountability and systemic reforms to prevent such incidents in the future.