Mental health task force to address rising suicide cases among doctors

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 29

In the realm of healthcare, where doctors are hailed as healers, a disconcerting trend has emerged. Rising stress levels among medical students and residents have led to alarming rates of suicides, prompting health experts to introduce an initiative to “heal the healers”.

119 medicos ended their lives in 5 years

A Right to Information (RTI) query had this year exposed disconcerting figures: 119 medical students had taken their lives in the last five years, and 1,166 students withdrew from medical colleges and institutes.

The Federation of All-India Medical Association (FAIMA) has unveiled the National Mental Health Task Force, an innovative endeavour addressing the escalating number of suicides within the medical community. With the primary goal of providing essential support for healthcare professionals battling mental health issues, the initiative comes in response to the disturbing statistics revealed by the National Medical Commission (NMC).

A Right to Information (RTI) query had this year exposed disconcerting figures: 119 medical students had taken their lives in the last five years, and 1,166 students withdrew from medical colleges and institutes.

Sandeep Dagar, national vice-president, FAIMA, underscored the severity of the issue, saying: “We hear about one or two cases of suicides committed by medical students every day.”

To tackle the distressing reality, FAIMA has assembled a task force comprising leading psychologists, psychiatrists and prominent resident doctor leaders. The initiative provides medical professionals with a platform to connect with doctors outside their institutions, offering a space to discuss their challenges.

FAIMA chairman Rohan Krishnan expressed dismay at the paradox faced by doctors trained to save lives but struggling to save their own. He identified various contributors to mental health challenges, including gruelling duty hours, insults and humiliation from superiors, department heads and even patients. The increasingly rigorous academic environment exacerbates the stress faced by medical professionals, he said.

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