Infant dies after being turned away from tea estate hospital in Assam's Margherita

The death of a one-and-a-half-month-old infant at Margherita Tea Estate has exposed serious gaps in healthcare at one of Assam’s most well-known tea gardens, owned by McLeod Russell India Limited.

 

The child, the son of tea worker Uday Gowala and his wife Mary Gowala of Line No. 6, fell ill late on December 13. The family rushed him to the Margherita Tea Estate hospital, only to find that the facility had no permanent doctor — a situation workers say has persisted for years.

 

According to the family, the nurse on duty allegedly refused to examine the child properly and insisted that he be taken to Margherita Civil Hospital without issuing a referral. They further alleged that a man surnamed Acharjee, who has been functioning as a self-appointed compounder at the estate hospital, declined to provide the government ambulance stationed there.

 

With no help forthcoming, the parents spent nearly five hours moving between Margherita FRU Civil Hospital, Coal India Limited’s Margherita Central Hospital and several private clinics. The infant died without receiving treatment.

 

The incident has sparked anger among residents of Line No. 6, who blame negligence at the tea estate hospital for the tragedy. Locals have announced plans to file a police complaint against the nurse on duty and Acharjee at Margherita Police Station.

 

Tea worker unions and residents say the case reflects a wider crisis in healthcare across Assam’s tea gardens, where labourers continue to work under harsh conditions with limited access to basic medical services. More than two centuries after tea cultivation began in the state, workers allege that essential welfare measures remain absent on the ground.

 

Attempts to contact the management of Margherita Tea Estate for comment were unsuccessful.