Photo source internet
Shimla, June 26,
The discovery of a 76-year-old woman’s decomposed body in a Shimla nallah, days after she went missing from Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), has brought hospital safety protocols for dementia patients under sharp scrutiny. The tragedy has sparked wider concern about systemic gaps in protecting cognitively impaired individuals within public healthcare facilities.
The deceased, Sanjogta Nag of Sankat Mochan, had accompanied her daughter to IGMC on June 19 for a routine check-up but vanished from the premises without a trace. Despite the immediate filing of a missing person complaint, extensive search efforts by police, and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the Chief Minister’s directive, she could not be located for days. CCTV footage later placed her walking alone in the Kanlog area that same evening. Her body was eventually recovered from a nearby nallah on June 25 and identified. Post-mortem examination is now underway.
The incident has not only devastated the family but has also reignited serious concerns about the preparedness of hospitals to care for dementia patients. “We don’t want anyone else to go through this nightmare. How could a patient just disappear from the state’s premier hospital without anyone noticing?” a relative asked, highlighting the absence of even basic supervision mechanisms.
Experts agree the tragedy was preventable. Many have pointed out that public hospitals lack tailored protocols for managing elderly patients with cognitive impairments like dementia or Alzheimer’s. The use of wearable GPS-enabled devices, alert tags, and institutional monitoring systems could dramatically lower such risks. “There is an urgent need for institutional reform. Our hospital systems are not built to handle the unique needs of dementia patients,” said a Shimla-based geriatric care consultant.
As India’s elderly population rises and dementia cases are projected to climb steeply in the coming decade, Sanjogta Nag’s death has served as a wake-up call. Beyond personal grief, it exposes a critical gap in public healthcare — one that demands immediate policy-level response and hospital-level action to prevent such tragedies in the future.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
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Indira Gandhi Medical College Shimla