Nurse found dead in washroom of state-run hospital in Kolkata

A nurse was found dead in a washroom of the state-run NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, hours after she joined duty, the police said on Thursday, August 13.

The police have started an investigation into her death, while the health department also formed a separate team to probe into the matter.

Health Minister Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee visited the hospital on Thursday morning and spoke to those on duty with her the previous night.

The 30-year-old nurse was on night duty at the hospital's high-dependency unit (HDU) on Wednesday.

According to the preliminary investigation, she reported for duty around 8 pm and went to the staff washroom at the antenatal ward in the Gynaecology Department Building around 10.30 pm, police said.

"When she did not return for some time, her colleagues went to check on her and found the washroom door locked. After repeated knocks drew no response, two of them broke open the door and found her lying unconscious on the floor," a police officer said.

A doctor was called to examine the nurse, and she was subsequently declared dead, he said.

Personnel from Entally police station, along with officers of the Detective Department's Homicide team, reached the hospital after being informed about the incident, the officer said.

The preliminary investigation found no visible injury marks on the body, and no suicide note was recovered, he said.

Several medicine vials were reportedly found near her body, prompting investigators to examine whether she had taken the vials with her to the washroom while on duty.

"We suspect that the nurse may have died following an overdose of an anaesthetic drug administered through an injection. However, our detectives are investigating all angles," he said.

The police officer said that the deceased was known among her colleagues and patients for her cheerful nature.

Detectives questioned her colleagues, patients and family members to ascertain her behaviour and state of mind in the days leading up to the incident, he said, adding that investigators are checking whether she had been under any form of mental stress or depression.

"No suicide note has been recovered from the spot," the police officer said, adding that she had been married for about a year.

Police are also investigating the sequence of events after the nurse arrived at the hospital on Wednesday night, including her movements before she entered the washroom and the circumstances in which the medicine vials were found nearby, he said.

After speaking to her husband and brother, the health minister said she was known as a happy and friendly person.

“She was a very cheerful woman. There was always a smile on her face. She would speak to everyone warmly and even embrace people,” Mukhopadhyay said.

Meanwhile, the deceased's husband had expressed reservations about conducting the postmortem at NRS Medical College and Hospital and requested that it be carried out at another facility.

Accepting his request, the body was sent to Kolkata Medical College, where the postmortem will be conducted under the supervision of the head of its forensic medicine department, the minister said.

"An internal committee has also been formed, and it will submit its report within seven days,” Mukherjee said.

The minister said it would be premature to draw any conclusion about whether the death was a suicide or the result of any other circumstance.

“There is no place for speculation in science. We will know the cause of death only after the report comes,” he said.

Expressing his condolences, Mukhopadhyay said, “The Health Department is our family. We are deeply saddened. Our daughter has died. Let the police investigate the incident. As directed by the chief minister, I will meet the husband of the deceased.”

The internal committee, constituted by NRS Medical College and the Health Department, comprised the head of the forensic department, the medical superintendent-cum-vice principal, the nursing superintendent, officials from the cleaning department and heads of other departments concerned.

The committee has been asked to submit its findings within seven days.