Is GMCH Becoming a Death Trap? Chandrapur Girl’s Ordeal Raises Alarming Question

Guwahati’s Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) — long regarded as Assam’s premier healthcare institution — is once again caught in controversy. Barely weeks after public outrage over the death of a newborn allegedly due to medical negligence, another disturbing case has emerged, this time from Chandrapur, shaking public trust in the hospital.

17-year-old Pooja Rai, daughter of Amrit Rai of Digarumukh and a first-year HS student of Mayong Minerva Academy, is now fighting for her life after what her family describes as gross negligence by GMCH.

According to her father, Pooja’s ordeal began on June 2, when she was struck by a vehicle while on her way to college, leaving her with a fractured leg. She was admitted to GMCH, where doctors performed surgery on June 11. Instead of recovery, her condition worsened: the lower part of her leg began decomposing, and a nerve was reportedly damaged. Despite this, doctors discharged her with only a handful of medicines.

The consequences have been devastating. Today, Pooja’s leg is at risk of amputation. Her family, too poor to afford specialized treatment outside the state, remains trapped. Attempts to move her to Patna were abandoned, allegedly because GMCH delayed her release.

This is not just a story of one young girl’s suffering; it is a symptom of a deeper institutional malaise. GMCH — meant to be the state’s most advanced public hospital — has increasingly become a site of recurring controversies, where families complain of negligence, callousness, and lack of accountability.

Public anger in Chandrapur has been swift. Dhiren Chandra Basumatary, General Secretary of the Pragjyotishpur District Tribal Association, condemned the hospital’s conduct in strong terms.

“Pooja Rai of Digarumukh is suffering immensely due to a wrong treatment by the GMCH. The family had to shift her to a private nursing home, which is a shame. We also learned that the family tried to take her to Patna for treatment but couldn’t because she was not released from the hospital. Now one of her legs is slowly decomposing,” Basumatary told reporters.

Basumatary demanded that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma personally intervene and ensure both medical care for Pooja and strict punishment for those responsible. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) Chandrapur Regional Unit echoed these demands, calling the case “a shameful reflection of negligence.”

A Larger Pattern

Pooja’s case highlights an uncomfortable truth: GMCH, despite its reputation as Assam’s apex healthcare institution, is increasingly failing in its most basic duty — saving lives with care and responsibility. From the death of infants to the mishandling of accident victims, the hospital has been repeatedly accused of negligence.

What is more worrying is the culture of impunity. Families often allege malpractice, yet inquiries, if any, rarely end in accountability. Doctors are seldom penalized, and the institution carries on, almost insulated from consequences. The result is predictable: cases like Pooja’s keep surfacing.

Opinion: A Crisis of Trust in Public Healthcare

This is not just a healthcare crisis — it is a crisis of trust. GMCH is where ordinary citizens turn when private hospitals are beyond reach. But when negligence here becomes routine, the poor and marginalized are left defenseless. Pooja’s family, unable to afford advanced care, is left at the mercy of a system that seems both indifferent and unaccountable.

The government cannot afford to treat this as just another case. If the Chief Minister’s office does not intervene decisively — not only to save Pooja but also to discipline negligent doctors — then every such tragedy will reinforce the belief that Assam’s public healthcare is broken beyond repair.

Pooja’s struggle today is not just personal. It is symbolic of the precarious fate of thousands who depend on GMCH and other government hospitals. Her story should serve as a wake-up call: without accountability, Assam’s “premier” hospital risks becoming a place where trust goes to die.

Also Read: “Scapegoat Made of Nurse Who Cared for 35 Babies Alone”: NSUI, AJP Protest at GMCH