Assam suspends five GMCH staff, rusticates two PG trainees over NICU infant death

The Assam government has taken decisive disciplinary action against multiple staff members of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) following the tragic death of a four-day-old infant in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on August 18.

Seven staff members, including senior doctors Dr. Anupama Deka and Dr. Dipankar Hazarika, Dr. Puja, Nurse-in-Charge Gomti Devi, ICU technician Ishanjyoti Talukdar, and staff nurse Chandana Nath, have been suspended for six months. 
They were found to have misled the probe team investigating the incident and failed to maintain proper records.

In addition, two postgraduate trainees of the Department of Paediatrics, Dr. Hrishikesh Thakuria (2nd Year) and Dr. Pooja (1st Year), have been rusticated for six months by Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences (SSUHS) following an inquiry report that cited grave misconduct, dereliction of duty, and attempts to manipulate hospital records.

The newborn, admitted for infection and jaundice, was found hanging from medical equipment wires just four days after birth. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who inspected the hospital, had earlier confirmed negligence in the incident and assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible. “I saw with my own eyes that negligence was there. A child has died. The nurses are themselves mothers, and they can understand the pain of losing a child even more than I,” Sarma had said.

Authorities stated that the actions are part of broader efforts to enforce accountability, uphold patient safety standards, and ensure that staff at critical care facilities adhere strictly to their duties.