GMCH NICU Death: Is Nurse Arrest An Eyewash To Hide Government Failure?

The tragic death of a newborn at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) after falling from an overcrowded ICU bed has triggered a wave of anger and condemnation across Assam. Opposition parties have come down heavily on the government, accusing it of negligence, systemic failure, and attempts to suppress the incident. They believe that arresting just a medical college employee is merely a tactic to cover up the government’s failures and loopholes.

Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) General Secretary Jagadish Bhuyan termed the incident “shameful” and questioned the development in the state under the tenure of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Bhuyan said, “This is an extremely unfortunate and shameful incident, when even a newborn is not safe inside a medical college. From the Principal’s statement, it is clear that GMCH lacks the necessary infrastructure and manpower. Yet, instead of addressing this, the Chief Minister is trying to suppress the matter. He often boasts of improving Assam’s medical infrastructure during his tenure as Health Minister and now as Chief Minister. But what kind of development is this, where a newborn’s life is unsafe? The CM cannot escape responsibility. We demand a white paper from him, detailing the number of hospitals in the state across all levels, along with the facilities available in each.”

On the other hand, Raijor Dal Spokesperson Ankuman Bordoloi stated that the incident has exposed the loopholes of the government.

He stated, "In Assam, we have a Health Ministry and a minister, but of what use is that minister if he cannot even safeguard a newborn baby? Instead of fixing accountability, the government is engaging in unnecessary probes. By merely arresting a nurse of the GMCH, they are only exposing their failure. The Chief Minister himself admitted that it was his failure and mistake, not the Health Minister’s. Then who should be held responsible? If a newborn cannot be protected in GMCH, is the fault with the nurses or with the government? The truth is, this baby did not just die; he was killed by the hollow and rotten face of our health department. From the outside, GMCH may look like heaven, but the reality inside is a different story with the lack of manpower and infrastructure."

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