The deceased doctor, Dr. Trinath Pal, had earlier undergone bypass surgery and was taking medication for diabetes and heart-related problems, according to his classmates and colleagues. They said he had several risk factors and pointed out that even doctors are not safe from heart attacks because they often cannot avoid stress and burnout at work.
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As per the TOI news report, the incident happened on Sunday around 8 am while he was examining patients in the OPD. During the consultation, he began to feel uneasy and complained of chest pain. He then went to the washroom but did not return for a long time.
Concerned, the staff members tried calling him, but he did not respond. When he finally came out of the washroom, Dr. Pal collapsed on a bed inside the OPD. He was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in Balasore in an 108 ambulance, but the doctors there declared him brought dead.
After his death, Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi visited the hospital and met the grieving family, calling Dr. Pal’s demise an irreplaceable loss to the medical community.
Talking about his previous history of heart attack, Dr Amulya Kumar Das, additional DMO at the DHH, told TOI, "Pal suffered a massive heart attack. He was undergoing treatment for diabetes and cardiac-related issues."
Dr Rama Chandra Barik, professor and head of the cardiology department, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, and a classmate of Dr Pal, said, "He had heart-related problems. He underwent bypass surgery earlier. He was taking medicines for his heart issues."
Barik said, "There are several factors, including age, gender, genetics, lifestyle, diet, underlying health conditions, environment and stress that can lead to heart-related problems. Whether he/she is a doctor or an ordinary person, it is not always possible to prevent these factors. Though doctors are aware of preventive steps, some of their health conditions lead to heart issues in the long run. Even some doctors neglect their health while treating patients," he added.
Dr Rama Raman Sarangi, a cardiologist, said, "By the time a doctor tries to take preventive steps, he might have developed some risk factors. He may manage some risk factors, but not all. At a later stage, even doctors suffer heart attacks. Doctors cannot avoid stress and burnout at the workplace. Some of them consume alcohol and smoke cigarettes, which also affects heart health."
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