Overview
- An AIIMS Bhopal internal inquiry concluded that the intravenous entry of formalin was directly linked to the death of three-year-old Sarthak Yadav, who died on December 17, 2025.
- Bagsewania police registered a criminal FIR in mid-June that charges nursing officer Madhubala Sharma with causing death by negligence and Anuka Gujarati with negligent handling of a hazardous substance.
- Police and AIIMS suspended both nurses and say teams are searching for them as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
- Authorities seized the IV/drip materials from the ward and have sent samples for forensic testing to confirm whether the substance was formalin.
- The case highlights alleged failures in basic safety steps: a syringe filled with a preservative meant for biopsy samples was left unsecured and was reportedly used without verifying its contents despite warnings from the child’s father, raising questions about hospital protocols and patient safeguards.