Long duty hours, coupled with the need to complete extensive academic work and deal with a hostile work environment where emergencies happen round-the-clock — medical students and doctors are constantly exposed to both mental and emotional trauma, states studies from across the world.
Acknowledging this, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has started a wellness clinic for its medical students and doctors. The clinic which will be operational for 12 hours a day from (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) has two dedicated phone numbers which have been pressed in for service.
Suicide rate
“The wellness clinic is being run under the supervision of the AIIMS psychiatric department. The helpline has counsellors who will help the medical professionals deal with stress and emotional exhaustion and they will also identify those who need more than counselling intervention. This will ensure that those who need help are offered it at earliest,” said a senior doctor who is part of the AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA).
The premier institute has seen at least one suicide/attempt every year. “To address the larger issue of dissatisfaction or stress among students and residents, which drives them to suicide, the institute has decided to open a wellness clinic. In-principle approval has been given for it,” Aarti Vij, chief spokesperson of AIIMS said. The RDA stated students coming from rural areas need help with academic work and the new environment.
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association has said that in the last few years the stress of students and practising doctors has taken a serious turn.
“Medical college in India experiences the highest level of stress than students in any other country. At the tender age of 18, the students are under tremendous pressure to understand, grasp, assimilate and utilise information about the complex human body and mind.Doctors are surrounded day and night by disease, distress, dangerous infections, demands from patients and death,” said Dr. Ravi Wankhedkar of the IMA.
