Assam Student's Death Sparks Campus Protests Over Medical Care

Students at the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education in Sonapur, near Guwahati, have staged protests following the death of a third-year student, questioning the medical care she received on campus.

The student, Shruti Upadhyay, first complained of abdominal pain on September 4. According to her fellow students, she was given basic medication for the pain over the next two days. When her condition did not improve, she was taken to the Sonapur district hospital.

Her health reportedly deteriorated further, with students noting she developed difficulty urinating and required more advanced care. She was subsequently referred to Nemcare Hospital in Guwahati, where doctors allegedly found her appendix had ruptured. The official cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Following her death, students gathered on campus on Tuesday, demanding a thorough investigation into the sequence of events from her initial complaint to her hospital admission. They are specifically questioning the delay in referring her for specialised treatment.

The protesters have also raised concerns about the medical infrastructure at the residential institute. They allege that there is no full-time doctor on the premises and that medical staff are only available during limited hours.

Students are seeking an impartial probe into the quality of treatment provided and the circumstances leading to her admission to the Guwahati hospital.