Students of a college in Assam have come out in large numbers in protest against the authorities over alleged negligence after a third-year student died due to an illness.
However, the exact medical cause of her death has not been officially confirmed. Her death prompted students to gather at the campus on Tuesday, with protesters seeking an inquiry into what happened from the time she first complained of pain until she was taken to hospital. The protesters at Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education in Sonapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati, questioned the quality of medical treatment that Shruti Upadhyay received after falling ill on campus. As her condition worsened, she was taken to Sonapur district hospital for treatment. She was subsequently referred to Nemcare Hospital in Guwahati. The students raised concerns about the medical facilities available at the residential institute. They alleged the college does not have a full-time permanent doctor and that medical personnel are available only during specified hours. The protesters sought an impartial investigation into the treatment provided to Shruti, and the delay, if any, in referring her to hospital and the circumstances surrounding her eventual admission to Nemcare.
Shruti complained of abdominal pain on September 4, according to the students.
She remained unwell over the next two days and was initially given medication for the pain, they said. Students said she later developed difficulty in passing urine and needed further medical attention. Doctors found that her appendix had been ruptured, leading to intense pain, according to students. Shruti later died at Nemcare Hospital, sources said.
