39-year-old Cardiac Surgeon dies of cardiac arrest while on duty

Chennai: In an unfortunate incident, a consultant cardiac surgeon at Saveetha Medical College passed away at the age of 39 after suffering a massive cardiac arrest while on hospital rounds.

The deceased, Gradlin Roy, reportedly collapsed in the ward while doing duty rounds. Despite immediate medical intervention, he could not be saved and was pronounced dead by the doctors. He is survived by his wife and a young son.

The sudden demise of the young surgeon has once again highlighted the urgent need for work-life balance among doctors. Medical professionals often work long hours, sacrifice rest, and remain under constant stress. They often work anywhere between 12 to 18 hours a day, with some even stretching beyond 24 to 48 hours during emergencies or night duties.

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Such long schedules, combined with high stress, lack of sleep, and irregular meals, significantly increase the risk of hypertension, heart disease, mental health issues, and burnout among medical professionals. While they dedicate their lives to saving others, this intense lifestyle takes a serious toll on their own health, sometimes with tragic consequences.

Studies from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Lancet medical journals have repeatedly warned that overwork and stress increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and burnout. In fact, the WHO estimates that long working hours contributed to 745,000 deaths from stroke and heart disease globally in a single year (2016) — a silent epidemic we rarely acknowledge.

Following Dr Roy's death, several doctors took to the social media platform X to express grief and raise concerns about the pressures of the profession. They described Dr Roy as a “brilliant surgeon who had just begun his independent practice,” and said his death was not only a personal loss but also a reminder of the larger problem of burnout in medicine.

One doctor wrote, "A doctor’s body is not immune to stress, exhaustion, and burnout. Even the best medical knowledge cannot protect us if we keep ignoring the basics of rest, balance, and mental peace. Work should never drain the very people who give their lives to heal others. A doctor running on empty is not just harming themselves, but also losing the ability to give their best to patients. Rest is not laziness, and time with family is not a luxury. It is a necessity. If this tragedy teaches us anything, it is that valuing life should start with our own. Let us not wait for another loss to remind us that health always comes first. Take care of your health, it is your first responsibility."

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