Blood Sample Goes Missing at Nagaon Medical College, Family Blames Negligence Delay in Treatment Raises Serious Doubts on Patient Safety and Accountability

A routine medical examination turned into a nightmare for the parents of a 16-year-old boy when his blood sample went missing at Nagaon Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), triggering an explosion of anger over lapses in patient safety checks.

The teenager, admitted with a complaint of relapsing fever and weakness, was ordered a set of investigative tests last week. However, the blood sample drawn on Monday was misplaced and necessitated a recollection of the sample, leading to the undue delay in diagnosis and treatment, as alleged by the family.

"We waited for two days. The doctors were constantly assuring us that the report would be available soon. A junior staff member eventually came and confessed to having lost the sample," said the patient's mother, her voice laced with exhaustion. "My son was in pain, and we didn't know anything. This is not a mistake — this is negligence."

The crash has also prompted new questions regarding system inefficiencies and patient care standards at the state hospital, which was brought in 2023 as part of the initiatives Assam has made to enhance access to quality healthcare.

Hospital administrators have owned up to the goof but called it an "isolated error." A senior government administrator, who did not wish to be named, said an investigation within the hospital has been launched. "We are trying to determine why the sample went missing and if protocol had been violated," the administrator added.

Medical experts cite such incidents, though rare, as proof of inherent problems in hospital management — from working overtime staff to poor documentation and lack of electronic tracking of samples.

As the case goes on, the case has raised public controversy over government hospital healthcare safety, where there may be no other option for poor families. To the teen and his family, however, it's not controversy — it's a chilling experience they hope no other family ever gets to have.