Doctors among five suspended over infant’s death in Gauhati Medical College

The Assam Government has suspended five staff members, including two senior doctors, of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) following the death of a four-day-old infant in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) on August 18.

The newborn, admitted for infection and jaundice, was found hanging from medical equipment wires.

Doctors Anupama Deka and Dipankar Hazarika, nurses Gomti Devi and Chandana Nath, and ICU technician Ishanjyoti Talukdar have been suspended for six months.

According to the notification, they misled the probe team investigating the incident and failed to maintain proper records.

In a letter to the GMCH Principal cum Chief Superintendent Achyut Chandra Baishya, the State’s Medical Education and Research Department also communicated the government’s displeasure and directed him to ensure such incidents do not occur in future.

The Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences, which runs the medical college, rusticated two postgraduate trainees of the Department of Paediatrics — Hrishikesh Thakuria (second year) and Pooja (first year) — for “grave misconduct, dereliction of duty, and attempts to manipulate hospital records”.

Following the death of the baby, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had promised strict action against those found responsible.

Health officials said the actions are part of broader efforts to fix accountability, uphold patient safety standards, and ensure that staff at critical care facilities adhere strictly to their duties.