Suicide rate among physicians a public health crisis, says IMA

Statement comes following suicide by doctor in Kochi hotel

Physicians’ suicide is a public health crisis and needs to be tackled before it is too late...Long working hours, taxing medical training, violence against doctors, and stress of saving lives, are some major factors that are pushing doctors to the breaking point,” noted the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

‘Battling depression’

The statement comes after the recent incident where 26-year-old Mamta Rai, a doctor from Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, who had come to Kochi to attend a conference of dermatologists, was found dead in a hotel room. The police found a suicide note in which she said she had been battling depression.

The association noted, “Doctors often do shifts that sometimes last 24 hours without any break or time to eat in between. Practising physicians and medical students must bear punishing workloads. They may also end up taking the blame if something goes wrong or even become frustrated with the changing work culture. Medical students often suffer from depression. Their training is extremely taxing and can take a toll on their mental and physical health.”

IMA national president Ravi Wankhedkar said, “Doctors have personal problems too, just like everyone else. They face divorce, custody battles, infidelity, disabled children, and deaths in families. Working for about 60 hours a week — sometimes more — while immersed in personal losses means they often have no time to deal with their personal problems. Ignoring doctor suicides will only lead to more such losses. Suicide is preventable. Healers, after all, also need healing.” The association noted that it is important to address the concerns of students and health care professionals and identify the signs of depression in the early stages if suicides are to be prevented.

Rest and recreation

The medical association suggested that there should be “time for rest and recreation for medical professionals, and they should do physical activities to keep fit. Medical students should form small groups in colleges where they can discuss the issues they face in their day-to-day life”.