Tripura, May 25: In a heartbreaking incident, a three-month-old baby girl, Divya Das, passed away at the RGM Sub-Divisional Hospital in Kailashahar, triggering serious allegations of medical negligence by the child’s family.
According to the family, the infant, a resident of Deb Para village under Kumarghat sub-division’s Saydarpur area, was brought to Kailashahar for medical treatment on Friday, May 23, after showing signs of illness. The baby was admitted that night under the supervision of the hospital’s pediatric specialist.
The family claims that Divya’s condition remained stable until Saturday evening. However, her health deteriorated from Saturday night. Despite alerting the nurses on duty, they allege that the pediatrician was not informed immediately. It was only on Sunday morning, when the baby’s condition became critical, that the doctor was finally called. Although the doctor reportedly tried for nearly two hours, the infant could not be saved.
Speaking to the media, the hospital’s pediatrician stated that the baby was born under critical health conditions, with congenital complications and signs of malnutrition. “The child was underweight, and no pediatric consultation had been sought in the three months since her birth,” the doctor added. He also stated that upon admission on Friday night, the family was specifically advised not to feed the baby anything other than prescribed medication — a directive they allegedly ignored, resulting in complications.
A further twist has emerged, raising even more concerns. Before being taken to the RGM hospital, the infant was first brought to Swasti Nursing Home in Kailashahar on Friday evening, where pediatrician Dr. Sanjana Ghosh reportedly advised immediate hospitalization. However, due to financial constraints, the family declined admission at the private facility and opted to rush to the government-run Unakoti District Hospital.
At the district hospital, emergency doctors initially examined the child. The family alleges that upon being contacted, Dr. Sanjana Ghosh, who is also associated with the district hospital, refused to treat the baby and instead recommended referral to GB Hospital in Agartala. The family then turned to the RGM Sub-Divisional Hospital as a last resort.
The most controversial question emerging from this incident is: did Dr. Sanjana Ghosh’s refusal to treat the baby at the district hospital stem from the family’s earlier decision not to admit the child to her private nursing home?
As the family mourns their loss, the incident has sparked outrage and raised critical questions about the state of neonatal care, the role of private interests in public healthcare, and the apparent lack of timely response within the hospital system.
The hospital authorities have yet to issue an official statement regarding the allegations.
