Newborn dies of nose bleeding after COVID-19 test, mother files police complaint

August 28: Almost two weeks following the death of a three-day old baby after his swab samples were taken for Covid-19 test, the mother of the baby on Friday lodged a police complaint accusing doctors of negligence. The baby allegedly succumbed to injuries after doctors collected his swab samples at Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital in Agartala.

The baby was born at Govind Ballabh Panth (GBP) hospital on August 10 and he died on August 12. Samples of the baby were taken as his mother was then Covid-19 positive. The woman was recently released from the hospital after she was tested negative. On 28 August, a complaint was lodged by Papia Paul Saha against doctors on duty at the hospital on August 12, when her infant boy of three days died soon after doctors and nurses collected a Covid-19 swab sample. In the FIR, the mother wrote, “Some staff of the hospital tried to collect swab from my child & in the course of such collection he suffered injury & there was profuse bleeding & after sometimes my child died.” The police have registered a complaint under Section 137 of the CrPC and started investigation in the case.

Infact, a day after the baby’s death, the state government constituted a three-member team for a departmental inquiry into death of the baby. This was stated by Dr Subhasis Debbarma, Director of Health Service.