Medical crisis: 6 doctors, 4 in Telangana and Andhra, die by suicide blaming systemic stress and harassment

Six young doctors, including four from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, died by suicide in September, exposing severe stress and lack of institutional support in medical education. Experts urge reforms such as wellness centres, mentoring, and confidential psychiatric care to prevent further tragedies.

Hyderabad: In the month of September, four young doctors, all related to the two Telugu-speaking States in some way or another, died by suicide. Furthermore, two more young doctors, one in Chhattisgarh and another in Maharashtra, also took the extreme step, taking the overall number of suicides committed by the young doctors to six.

The one common thread tying the six tragedies is that the young doctors, in their suicide notes, pointed to severe stress, academic failure, work-related harassment (especially by seniors), and general dissatisfaction. These pressures ultimately drove them to take extreme measures.

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At present, no government or private hospital, including NIMS in Telangana, offers a safe, institutional mechanism (whistle-blower protections) for a junior or a trainee doctor to lodge complaint against harassment. There are no fixed-working hours too, as medicos keep pushing limits of their physical and mental health.

Prof. Dr. Vishal Akula, senior psychiatrist and National Direct Council Member of the Indian Psychiatric Society, believes that such tragedies demand systemic reforms in medical education and establishment of institutional support systems.

“Medical students face disproportionate levels of stress, stigma, and burnout. When help is not easily available, or when students feel seeking support will affect their careers, the consequences can be fatal,” he says.

In Telangana, barring submission of memorandums by medicos to senior health officials over such issues, concrete measures to introduce mental health reforms in medical education, are yet to be launched.

The members of Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) have in the past had urged the health authorities to implement measures to reduce work place stress. “We are collaborating with our national organisations to raise these issues at the national level. We are also addressing students in individual colleges and motivating and educating them with psychiatric support. We are also forming committees in individual colleges that will provide much needed support to young medicos,” says General Secretary, TJUDA, Dr D Ajay Kumar Goud.

The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that suicide is among the top causes of death for young people aged 15–29, with healthcare trainees at elevated risk. A meta-analysis published in JAMA (2016) found that nearly one in three medical students experienced depression, while more than one in ten reported suicidal thoughts.

“India’s medical colleges mirror this global trend, but stigma and silence make it even harder for our students to come forward,” Dr. Akula added.

Measures needed to address suicides:

• Examination pressure and fear of failure.

• Isolation from family and lack of peer support.

• Burnout from long hours and insufficient rest.

• Stigma around mental health care.

How to prevent:

• Establish student wellness centres and 24×7 helplines

• Ensure confidential counseling and psychiatric support on campus.

• Train faculty to act as mentors and gatekeepers, not just examiners.

• Integrate stress management/ resilience training into MBBS curriculum.

Medicos who died by suicide related to TS/AP: (September)

· Dr. Vinod Kumar Goud (2nd-year MD Pediatrics resident, native of Telangana) at PIMS, Loni, Maharashtra

· Dr. Jagapathi Babu (Senior Resident, native of Andhra Pradesh) at AIIMS, Rishikesh

· Shivani Jotsna (2nd-year MBBS student, native of Andhra Pradesh) at NRI Medical College, Visakhapatnam

· Vismad Singh (1st-year MBBS student, from Himachal Pradesh) at Gitam Medical College, Visakhapatnam,