Emergency ENT Services Unavailable After 4 PM at IGM Hospital, Patient Forced to Rush to GB Hospital

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, May 23, 2026

A serious allegation regarding lack of emergency medical services at City's Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital has surfaced after a young girl suffering from a fish bone stuck in her throat was allegedly denied treatment in the hospital’s emergency section on the grounds that it was after 4 PM.

According to reports, the incident involved the daughter of Rupak Chowdhury, a resident of Kalikapur in Agartala. The girl reportedly developed severe discomfort after a fish bone became lodged in her throat. Her family immediately rushed her to IGM Hospital seeking emergency ENT treatment.

However, the emergency doctors at the hospital allegedly informed the family that ENT treatment could not be provided because it was already past 4 PM. The family was then advised to take the patient to Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital instead.

With no immediate assistance available, the helpless father reportedly carried his daughter on a scooter and rushed to GB Hospital for treatment.

The incident has triggered strong reactions and raised serious questions regarding the functioning of emergency healthcare services at one of the state’s major government hospitals. Family members questioned how an emergency department in such a large government hospital could fail to provide treatment for a critical ENT-related case during evening hours.

The matter has also sparked criticism of the Health Department, which functions under the direct supervision of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha. Citizens and observers have expressed concern that lack of emergency specialist support in government hospitals continues to create hardship for common people despite repeated claims of improvement in healthcare infrastructure.

The incident is likely to intensify public debate over availability of specialist emergency services in state-run hospitals and the need for round-the-clock treatment facilities for patients in critical situations.

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