A medical intern at Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital (CNMCH), Kolkata, has apologised after photographs and videos of her posing with newborn babies inside hospital premises triggered criticism on social media over patient privacy and consent.
The intern, identified as Sudeshna Mondal, had shared images and videos of herself holding newborns in areas identified as the hospital's neonatal and labour room sections. The posts later attracted widespread attention online, with users questioning whether photographs of newborn patients should be shared publicly, even when family members have allegedly given consent.
The controversy gained further attention after Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as TheLiverDoc, asked Mondal to remove the posts. Responding to one of her posts, he warned that the matter could potentially lead to serious consequences and suggested that a complaint could be made to the National Medical Commission (NMC).
Initially, Mondal said she had obtained consent from family members and postgraduate doctors before taking the photographs. She also explained that the pictures were taken as a personal “memory”. However, as criticism continued to grow, she removed the posts and issued a public apology on X.
In her apology, Mondal acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding newborns and said she genuinely did not realise that sharing the photographs was inappropriate. She also said she would not post further photographs of babies, regardless of whether consent had been obtained.
The intern further addressed concerns about hygiene and sanitisation inside the labour room complex. She said she had sanitised her hands, watch and thread before entering the area.
Her apology, however, did not end the online debate. While some users accepted that she had acknowledged her mistake and removed the content, others argued that medical professionals have a heightened responsibility when dealing with vulnerable patients, particularly newborns.
One doctor suggested that the criticism was partly linked to Mondal's social media visibility, while advising her to avoid sharing sensitive hospital-related content online. Another user said mistakes can happen and welcomed her decision to learn from the episode.
Others took a firmer view, stressing that patients should not be treated as objects for photographs and questioning whether parental consent alone should be considered sufficient when posting images of newborns on public platforms.
There were also claims online that Mondal had been summoned by college authorities and asked to apologise. She later denied this, saying she had received no pressure or inquiry from her college authorities and that neither her batchmates nor postgraduate doctors had asked her to delete the posts.
Mondal said she decided to remove the content after seeing TheLiverDoc's post and because she did not want the controversy to add to the pressure of her already hectic medical rotation.
The episode has once again brought attention to the difficult line between personal social media use and professional responsibilities in healthcare, particularly when patients are involved.
