Unfortunate: 3rd-year GMCH Chandigarh MBBS student commits suicide

Chandigarh: In an unfortunate incident, a third-year NRI MBBS student of Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32 allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling in her hostel room on Monday night. 

According to the medical college authorities, the student was having a hard time and going through difficulties due to her personal crisis which she disclosed to her friends. Her friends stated that she showed no signs of taking such extreme step and also underwent counselling from the institute's psychiatry department.

In a suicide note recovered by the police from the scene, the student confessed to being unable to bear the mental agony due to a personal issue and apologised to her family for taking such a step.

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Although the student disclosed the reason for her suicide in the note, the police have refused to disclose it to the media because she requested not to share it on social media in the note. 

The incident came to light when the classmates of the victim found her hanging from the ceiling in her room following which they called the warden of the hostel. The warden immediately rushed her to the institute's hospital but unfortunately, she died. 

Following the incident, the police rushed to the spot and conducted a preliminary investigation after receiving information about the incident. Later, they handed over her body to her parents who arrived from abroad, her brother from Yamunanagar and her sister from Pune after a postmortem was conducted today. 

Sector 34 police station SHO Inspector Lakhbir Singh told Indian Express, “Proceedings under the BNS have been initiated. There is no foul play as of now. In the suicide note, the victim has requested not to share on social media.”

Speaking about the incident, GMH-32 Director-Principal Dr AK Attri said “It’s a very sad incident for the entire hospital. Our first reaction was to know whether she had any issues or distress with GMCH-32. We learnt from her batchmates and friends that she was going through a personal crisis and a tough phase in her life and was finding it difficult to cope. She had confided to some of her close friends, who were doing their best to support her. According to them, she did not give them even the slightest indication of taking the extreme step," adding that “She was a bright student.”

A faculty member told TOI, "She had been feeling low for some time now, and that her friends were trying to cheer her up. They had planned an outing with her."

Talking about a program that helps students with unfamiliar environments, Dr Attri said as quoted by Indian Express, “The hospital also has a mentorship programme the students are introduced to at the time of induction so that they find it easy to adjust to the new environment and share their problems with their mentors and find solutions to any challenge they are facing. We have 170 faculty members and 150 students, providing almost one-to-one mentorship. The mentors are always there and students have their phone numbers and addresses for any emergency and immediate advice."

"Students approach their mentors for college-related issues and interpersonal issues, and we intervene. Sharing problems with friends and family is important to diffuse a tough situation, help cope with pressure, ups and downs, and deal with them,” she added. 

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