GMCH infant death: Inquiry report cites lapses, CM promises action & phased reforms
Sarma said the report did not merely identify accountability but also provided remedial measures to strengthen the hospital’s system
CM Sarma at GMCH's NICU on August 18. (AT Photo)
Guwahati, August 30: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Saturday, said that the state government will take strict action based on the findings of the inquiry report into the recent death of a four-day-old at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH)'s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
“The report on GMCH was submitted yesterday and the government will take action against whoever has been named. I have already asked the concerned departments to act accordingly,” Sarma said.
The Chief Minister stressed that the report did not merely identify accountability but also provided remedial measures to strengthen the hospital’s system.
“Only action will not be enough. The report has suggested a series of improvements for GMCH. It mentions how the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) should be maintained, how security should be enhanced, and what facilities should be provided to visiting and resident doctors. These are important issues we must address,” Sarma added.
According to him, the committee’s report has laid out short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures, which the government plans to implement in phases.
“We will first address the issues directly connected with this incident and then gradually move towards implementing the medium and long-term reforms,” the Chief Minister explained.
The incident, which occurred on August 18, involved the death of the child, who was undergoing treatment for jaundice at the NICU. The state government had immediately constituted a three-member committee to probe the matter.
Following the child’s death, the matter took another turn on August 20, when Bhanupriya Mishong, the sister in-charge of one of the NICU units on duty that night, was arrested and interrogated by Bhangagarh Police.
This led to widespread protests by nurses’ unions and healthcare organisations across Assam, who demanded the suspension and transfer of the GMCH principal and expressed solidarity with the arrested nurse.