Agartala, 7th August 2026: Tension over the death of a 60-year-old patient at North Tripura District Hospital in Dharmanagar on Thursday escalated into allegations of medical negligence and counter-allegations of harassment of medical staff, prompting the All Tripura Government Doctors Association to address the issue at a press conference on Friday.
The deceased, identified as Jalal Uddin, a resident of Botorshi area in Dharmanagar, was brought to the district hospital by his family members between 11:30 am and noon on Thursday in an ailing condition.
According to the deceased’s family, the attending physician, Dr Soumeli Nath, examined Jalal Uddin and reportedly said that his pulse could not be detected before advising an ECG. The family alleged that the first ECG machine was not functioning and that considerable time was lost while another machine was arranged. They claimed that the patient died during this period and subsequently staged a protest inside the hospital premises.
As the situation became tense, personnel from Dharmanagar Police Station reached the hospital and brought the situation under control. The family later submitted a written complaint against Dr Nath at the police station, alleging negligence in treatment.
However, Dr Nath strongly denied the allegations. She said the patient had already died before reaching the hospital and that she declared him dead after conducting an initial examination. According to her, the ECG was advised only as part of the procedure to confirm and document the death.
She also rejected the allegation that the ECG machine was non-functional, stating that the same machine had been used to conduct an ECG on another patient shortly before the incident.
At Friday’s press conference, Medical Superintendent Dr Bhaskar Das, All Tripura Government Doctors Association president Dr Deepak Haldar and secretary Ashish Das Kanungo addressed the media.
The doctors maintained that Jalal Uddin was already dead when he was brought to the hospital and that the accompanying relatives were informed accordingly. They further alleged that following the declaration of death, some family members verbally abused and attempted to physically assault Dr Nath and a health worker accompanying her.
According to the doctors’ association, Dr Nath filed a written complaint at Dharmanagar Police Station on Thursday night, identifying those allegedly involved in the incident.
“How could I revive a patient who was already dead?” Dr Nath questioned, reiterating that the patient had died before reaching the hospital and that she had followed the prescribed medical protocols. She also demanded legal action against those allegedly involved in the harassment.
The incident has now produced two conflicting versions—the family’s allegation of medical negligence and the doctors’ claim that the patient was brought to the hospital after death, coupled with allegations of harassment and attempted assault.
Police investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding Jalal Uddin’s death, the allegations concerning treatment and the alleged misconduct against the medical staff.
