Calcutta Medical College forms panel to probe 11-year-old's death
Synopsis
An 11-year-old boy from Howrah died within 90 minutes of admission at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, allegedly after an alternative injection triggered cardiac arrest. As the family cried negligence and violence erupted on campus, the hospital scrambled to form a probe panel — with a 24-hour deadline to report findings.
Key Takeaways
Calcutta Medical College and Hospital formed a four-member panel on 26 October 2026 to probe the death of 11-year-old Pawan Yadav .
The committee, headed by Professor Rakesh Mondal , must submit its report within 24 hours .
Pawan , a resident of Andul, Howrah , was admitted at 10 am with stomach pain and died within one and a half hours , allegedly after an alternative injection caused cardiac arrest.
The family alleged that only junior doctors treated the boy and that the number of injections administered was misrepresented.
Violence broke out on the hospital campus; police made several arrests after relatives attacked security and police personnel.
Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee visited the hospital and assured the family of a proper investigation.
The Calcutta Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata has constituted a four-member investigation committee to examine allegations of medical negligence in the death of an 11-year-old boy, Pawan Yadav, on Sunday, 26 October 2026. The panel has been directed to submit its findings within 24 hours of its formation.
The Investigation Committee
The committee is headed by Professor Rakesh Mondal of the Department of Paediatric Surgery. The other members include Sujoy Mitra, Head of the Department of Paediatric Surgery; cardiologist Imran Ali; and medicine specialist Dr Sanjay Mondal. The hospital administration has tasked the panel with establishing the sequence of clinical events leading to the child's death.
What Happened to Pawan Yadav
Pawan Yadav, a resident of Andul in Howrah district, was brought to the hospital on Sunday and admitted to the Mother and Child Hub at 10 am with complaints of stomach pain. According to his family, he died within one and a half hours of admission. The body was sent for autopsy on Monday.
A section of doctors stated that the minor was first administered an injection called Dortin to relieve stomach pain. Doctors then planned to prescribe medication for a gastric problem and asked the family to obtain Pantoprazole. Due to a delay in procuring the medicine, an alternative drug was administered — after which the patient reportedly went into shock and died of cardiac arrest. Some doctors maintained that the use of such medication for stomach pain is standard clinical practice.
Family's Allegations of Negligence
The family alleged that the treatment was handled entirely by junior doctors without senior supervision. A grieving relative claimed: 'We saw three injections being administered, yet they claimed that only two were given.' The family further asserted that the junior doctors were being untruthful about the course of treatment provided to the boy.
Doctors, however, disputed the negligence charge. A junior doctor explained that standard protocol was followed given the presenting symptoms, and that an X-ray had been planned once the pain subsided — a step that could not be taken because Pawan deteriorated rapidly before it could be carried out.
Violence on Hospital Premises
The Calcutta Medical College and Hospital campus turned tense on Sunday afternoon as aggrieved relatives of the deceased became violent. Protesters allegedly attacked police and hospital security personnel, attempting to strike them with helmets. Police responded by chasing the protesters and making several arrests, with those detained being taken away in a prison van.
Minister's Assurance and What Comes Next
West Bengal Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee visited the hospital following the incident and assured the family that a proper investigation would be conducted into the child's death. The probe committee's report, due within 24 hours, is expected to determine whether clinical protocols were followed and whether the administration of the alternative medicine was medically justified. The outcome will likely shape whether formal action is taken against any of the treating doctors.
Point of View
A contested clinical account, and a probe panel announced under public pressure. The 24-hour deadline for the committee's report is tight enough to appear responsive, but too tight for a genuinely rigorous inquiry into cardiac arrest causation. The deeper structural question — whether the hospital's Mother and Child Hub has adequate senior doctor coverage during peak admission hours — is the one most likely to be glossed over. If the autopsy finding contradicts the doctors' account of the injection sequence, the pressure on the hospital administration and the state health department will escalate sharply.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Pawan Yadav die at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital?
The exact cause is under investigation. Pawan Yadav, an 11-year-old from Howrah, was admitted on 26 October with stomach pain and died within 90 minutes. According to some doctors, he went into shock and suffered cardiac arrest after an alternative medicine was administered when Pantoprazole could not be procured in time. His family alleges medical negligence.
What is the Calcutta Medical College investigation committee?
It is a four-member panel constituted by the hospital to probe the circumstances of Pawan Yadav's death. Headed by Professor Rakesh Mondal of Paediatric Surgery, the committee must submit its findings within 24 hours and includes specialists in paediatric surgery, cardiology, and medicine.
What did the family allege about the treatment?
The family claimed that only junior doctors attended to Pawan, with no senior doctors present. They also alleged that three injections were given to the boy, contradicting the doctors' account of two, and that the treatment was mismanaged.
Was anyone arrested following the violence at the hospital?
Yes. Aggrieved relatives of the deceased became violent on Sunday afternoon, attacking police and hospital security personnel with helmets. Police made several arrests and took the detainees away in a prison van.
What has the West Bengal government said about the incident?
West Bengal Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee visited the hospital on Sunday and assured the family that a thorough investigation into the child's death would be conducted. The probe panel's report is expected within 24 hours of its formation.
