GMCH Newborn Death: Sister-in-Charge Arrest Triggers Nurse Protests, Raises Accountability Concerns

The death of a newborn at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) sparked outrage after sister-in-charge Bhanupriya Mishong was arrested on the Chief Minister’s directive. Nurses allege she was unfairly singled out despite five nurses, three doctors, two ward girls, and two cleaners being on duty in the NICU. Bhanupriya had briefly stepped out to prepare milk during the incident, and the room she supervised held 35 newborns, not 26, highlighting staff shortages and infrastructural lapses, including a non-functional infant warmer. Colleagues demanded equal accountability, criticizing the focus on one nurse while systemic failures and doctors remain unaddressed.