Doctor dies by suicide in Mumbai hospital hostel room after anaesthesia overdose

A resident doctor from Karnataka allegedly died by suicide at his hostel at Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital after administering an overdose of anaesthesia, police said on Sunday.Dr Shivasharanappa Patil, a first-year postgraduate student at the civic-run hospital in Sion, was found dead in his hostel bathroom around 7:30 pm on Saturday, according to the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).A police official told news agency PTI that the incident came to light after Patil’s hostel room remained closed for an extended period. An accidental death report has been registered, and further investigation is underway.MARD DEMANDS STEPS TO ADDRESS DOCTORS' MENTAL HEALTHReacting to his death, the BMC wing of MARD expressed grief and called for urgent steps to address the mental health and well-being of resident doctors, citing prolonged duty hours, excessive workloads and inadequate staffing. MARD cited the National Medical Commission’s task force report on the mental health and well-being of medical students, which found that 31.2 per cent of postgraduate residents had experienced suicidal ideation. It also referred to a peer-reviewed study that identified 105 reported suicide deaths among resident doctors in India between 2010 and 2019.The association said concerns over sleep deprivation and burnout had persisted, with some resident doctors reportedly working continuously for more than 36 hours. Urging the National Medical Commission and other authorities to act, MARD called for regulated duty hours, adequate staffing, mandatory rest periods and accessible mental health support.“Resident doctors dedicate themselves to caring for patients, but their own health and well-being must not be neglected,” the association said, urging that Patil’s death prompt meaningful improvements in working conditions.- Ends(with inputs from PTI)