TVM newborn death: Doctor faces suspension following bribery charges and prior complaints

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday suspended Dr Bindhu Sundar, a consultant in the gynaecology department at Nedumangad district hospital, amid allegations of medical negligence and bribery linked to the death of a newborn.

A government order stated the suspension is immediate, pending a detailed inquiry and disciplinary proceedings into the incident, which occurred on Tuesday following a caesarean delivery.

Expert panel ordered to probe death

State Health Minister Veena George directed Dr Sundar’s transfer from Nedumangad Hospital and set up a team of specialist doctors from SAT Hospital to investigate the newborn’s death.

The panel includes experts from paediatrics, gynaecology, and anaesthesiology and has been instructed to submit an urgent report to the government on Wednesday itself, an official statement said.

Protests, allegations and professional backlash

Since Tuesday evening, Nedumangad hospital has seen widespread protests from local residents and political parties over the infant’s death. The child’s family alleged negligence and claimed they had paid bribes ahead of the delivery.

The Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association (KGMOA) condemned attacks on doctors and described the unrest as “unacceptable in a democratic society”. The district unit said February 18 would be observed as a protest day in the capital district.

The association stressed that healthcare workers are operating under severe manpower shortages and limited infrastructure, and that publicly humiliating doctors over medical complications was unjust. It demanded strict legal action under the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act against those responsible for hospital unrest.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Family members claimed the caesarean was delayed despite being told it would occur by noon, arguing that an earlier procedure could have saved the baby.

Activists from the Congress, BJP, and SDPI staged protests outside the hospital demanding accountability from the medical staff involved.