Agartala, July 15, 2024: Major referral hospitals in the state are facing severe criticism as incidents of alleged negligence and mismanagement continue to surface. The latest tragedy involves Supriya Das, a new mother from Tripura’s Moharcherra of Teliamura sub-division under Khowai district, who died due to gross negligence at GB Hospital in Agartala city just hours after giving birth on the wee hours of Monday.
Supriya Das was admitted to GB Hospital on Sunday. Following her delivery, she was reportedly in severe pain, tossing and turning on her hospital bed. Despite repeated alerts from her family, medical staff failed to attend to her. “We informed the doctors and nurses about Supriya’s condition, but no one came to check on her,” lamented Suman Das, Supriya’s husband.
Around 11 pm, when Supriya’s screams became unbearable, her family attempted to enter the ward to comfort her but were stopped by security guards and nurses. “They refused to let us in despite our pleas,” Suman Das added.
The following morning, a security guard summoned the family inside the ward, where they found Supriya lying on the floor in a pool of blood. “Other patients told us she had fallen from the bed due to extreme pain, and blood was coming out of her ears,” Suman Das recounted. Tragically, Supriya died without receiving any treatment.
When questioned, hospital staff and security personnel offered no explanations. Enraged by the apparent negligence, Supriya’s family staged a protest, drawing the attention of other hospital staff and the police. Despite their efforts to control the situation, Supriya’s life could not be saved.
“The nurses assigned to care for new mothers were busy on their phones and showed no concern for Supriya’s condition,” Suman Das accused. He also alleged that bribes were common, claiming that special nurses would only assist patients’ families in exchange for money. “If you give them two or three hundred rupees, they will help you,” he said.
Supriya’s mother, devastated by the loss, demanded strict punishment for those responsible. “My daughter screamed for help, but the nurse was too busy with her mobile phone to notice. I want justice so that no other mother has to suffer like this,” she cried.
The family has called for the immediate dismissal and severe punishment of all staff involved, including security guards. “If such people continue to be in charge, many more lives will be lost,” Suman Das warned.
This incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning the accountability of hospital officials. “GB Hospital’s reputation is being tarnished every day due to the negligence of the current administration,” a local resident commented.
Amid growing public anger, the focus is now on the Chief Minister and the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Manik Saha, to address these serious allegations and ensure such tragedies are not repeated. As one protester put it, “How many more lives will be lost before the government takes action?”