South Tripura District Hospital under fire as infant dies hours after treatment; Family alleges medical negligence

BY TC News Desk

Agartala, 27^th July 2025:    Widespread tension gripped the Santirbazar area today following the death of a nine-month-old baby girl at the South Tripura District Hospital. The grieving family of Diksha Das has alleged that her death was due to negligence by hospital staff and delayed treatment. However, hospital authorities have stated that the exact cause of death will be determined through an autopsy.

According to sources, Rajib Das, a resident of Kalacherra under the Santirbazar subdivision brought his daughter Diksha to the hospital around 6 am after she complained of severe stomach pain overnight. The doctor on duty Debashree Reang reportedly examined the child and prescribed two medicines.

The father claimed that after administering one of the medicines on the way back home, the baby collapsed. The family rushed Diksha back to the hospital immediately. However, they allege that the doctor on duty refused to see the child citing the end of her shift.

“If the doctor had attended to my daughter when we brought her back, she might still be alive. We trusted the hospital, but our child died in front of our eyes,” said Rajib Das.

The tragedy soon escalated further after the family filed a separate complaint alleging political intimidation. They claimed that Sub-Inspector Samir of the Santirbazar police station tried to dissuade them from pursuing the case. “He told us not to say anything against the female doctor because she belongs to a tribal community and warned that Tipra Motha supporters would retaliate,” said a relative of the deceased child.

Following the incident, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), the Medical Superintendent (MS) of the hospital and other senior officials rushed to the scene to calm the situation.

Speaking to reporters, Dr. JS Reang, MS of South Tripura District Hospital said, “As soon as I heard about the incident, I rushed to the hospital and spoke with all parties involved. The child was seen by doctors. We will wait for the autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.”

The autopsy was conducted in the presence of family members and officials, after which the child’s body was handed over to the parents.