GMCH infant death: Nurse arrested, sent to 3-day police remand

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 21, 2025

A nurse at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has been arrested and remanded to three days of police custody following the death of a newborn who fell from a phototherapy bed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The nurse, Bhanupriya Misong, who was reportedly the sister in-charge of one of the NICU units, was arrested late Tuesday night and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup Metro on Wednesday. Her arrest came after the infant’s father, Utpol Bordoloi, lodged an FIR against GMCH authorities. Police have booked her on charges of negligence.

The incident occurred on August 18 when a four-day-old baby undergoing treatment for jaundice died after falling from a bed. The tragedy sparked outrage, leading to the immediate suspension of Misong.

However, the arrest has divided opinion. Misong’s colleagues and family alleged she is being made a scapegoat to shield higher-ups. They pointed out that she was managing 35 babies in the SB (Special Baby) section single-handedly that night. “She alone cannot be held responsible. There were five nurses and two doctors on duty,” a colleague said, highlighting the severe workload in GMCH’s overcrowded NICU. Her family echoed the sentiment, saying she had been “unfairly targeted.”

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who visited the hospital soon after the incident, dismissed suggestions that overcrowding was to blame and described the lapse as “unacceptable in a premier medical institution.” He ordered strict action, warning that staff found guilty of negligence would face punitive transfers.

Meanwhile, a three-member inquiry committee, headed by Additional Chief Secretary Sweety Changsan, is probing the case. The panel is expected to submit its findings in the next few days.