A medical intern at Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH) in West Bengal has apologised after photographs and videos of her posing with newborn babies inside the hospital went viral on social media. The posts sparked a debate over patient privacy, consent and professional conduct in medical settings.
The intern, identified as Sudeshna Mondal, had shared pictures and videos taken in areas including the neonatal and labour room sections. Several social media users questioned whether images of newborn patients should be posted publicly, even if their families had reportedly given permission.
TheLiverDoc flags the posts
The controversy gained attention after hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as TheLiverDoc, criticised the posts and urged Mondal to remove them.
“You can really get into real trouble for this. A letter to the National Medical Commission (NMC) with your details and this post is good enough," he wrote on X.
Mondal initially said she had obtained consent from family members and postgraduate doctors. She also explained that she had taken the photographs as a “memory”. However, following growing criticism, she deleted the posts involving newborns and issued a public apology.
Intern says she will not share baby photos again
In her apology, Mondal acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding newborns and said she had not realised that sharing such images publicly could be considered inappropriate.
“This is to apologise for my misdemeanour in my recent tweets. I completely understand there is a huge social and personal sentiment attached to a newborn baby, and I am really sorry for hurting it, as I genuinely didn’t know it wasn’t okay to do it – you observe and learn."
She added, “As of now, I have deleted all the posts where a newborn is being handled and won’t be posting any further photos of babies, be it with or without consent."
Addressing concerns about hygiene, she said, “I can assure I did sanitise my hands, watch and even thread before entering the Labour Room complex."
Intern denies being forced to apologise
The apology received mixed reactions, with some users supporting her decision while others stressed that patients should not become subjects of social media content.
Meanwhile, claims surfaced that college authorities had allegedly pressured her to apologise. Mondal denied this, saying, “I didn’t get ANY pressure/enquiry from my college authorities... I did it because I saw @theliverdoc Sir’s tweet and felt this isn’t worth my mental peace amidst my already hectic rotation.”
The incident has renewed discussions about patient confidentiality and responsible social media use among healthcare professionals.
