Sassoon General Hospital Psychiatry Head dies while trekking in Himachal Pradesh

Pune: A trekking trip in Himachal Pradesh turned tragic for a 42-year-old doctor, Head of the Psychiatry Department at BJ Medical College (BJMC) and Sassoon General Hospital (SGH), who passed away due to breathing difficulties while trekking in the Buran Ghati region.

The deceased has been identified as Dr Nitin Abhivant, who suddenly collapsed during a base-level trek. Despite immediate efforts by his two friends, both medical professionals, to revive him, he did not respond to the medical assistance and tragically passed away. 

While the post-mortem report is still awaited to determine the exact cause of death, doctors suspect that a sudden heart attack may have been the reason.

The incident occurred after Dr Nitin was on an expedition with his friends. He left Mumbai with a group of college friends for the trek on June 7 and unfortunately died on June 9. 

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“Dr Abhivant, an avid trekker, left for Himachal Pradesh on June 7 along with his college friends. The group began the trek on Monday morning, but within half an hour, he started experiencing severe breathlessness. His doctor friends attempted to revive him and rushed him to the base camp, but he could not be saved,” a hospital official told PTI. 

The official added that Dr Abhivant was an experienced trekker and had earlier undertaken several treks in the Sahyadri ranges. He is survived by his parents, brother, wife, and an eight-year-old son.

The sudden demise of Dr Abhivant has left the medical community, his friends, family, and colleagues in deep shock. Known for his sincerity and dedication to his profession, his passing came as an unexpected and heartbreaking loss to all who knew him.

Expressing condolences and huge shock over his death, Dr Bhushan Chaudhari, one of his college friends and a professor of Psychiatry at Dr D Y Patil Medical College and Hospital, told the Indian Express, “He would trek frequently and was healthy. His passing away has come as a profound shock.” 

Dr Chaudhari said, as he remembered Dr Abhivant as “always smiling and helpful”.

Dr Praful Kapse, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, Maharashtra Institute of Mental Health, said, "Dr Abhivant was a good academician and administrator. He always used to look for innovative and cost-effective solutions for mental health care. Dr Abhivant was instrumental in adopting new technologies in mental health care for patients, was empathetic and caring towards patient care and had high ethical integrity. He was known for his excellent communication and pedagogical skills to educate multidisciplinary students, peers and colleagues."

BJMC and SGH Dean Dr Eknath Pawar also expressed deep sorrow over the sudden loss. He told HT, “Dr Abhivant will be remembered not only for his medical expertise but also for his humility, dedication, and service to society. It’s a loss for the institute and society,” he said.

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