AIIMS Bhopal removes Emergency dept HoD after assistant professor's suicide attempt

Bhopal: The suicide attempt of the assistant professor from the Emergency and Trauma Department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal, has triggered a controversy after it was found that the doctor reportedly tried to end her life due to an alleged toxic work environment, excessive administrative pressure and internal departmental conflicts at the institute.

Bhaskar has reported that although the doctor had informed the department in advance about her academic leave in September, she was served a notice of absence, reportedly pushing her into deep mental stress.

While the exact nature of the harassment she may have faced is still unclear, serious allegations of toxicity in the work environment have surfaced against the HOD.

As an immediate administrative step, the institute has removed the HOD of the Emergency and Trauma Department from his post. He has been temporarily attached to the Anaesthesia Department and will now work under Dr Vaishali, Head of the Anaesthesia Department, adds Bhaskar report.

Given the seriousness of the case, a high-level committee has been formed to conduct a confidential inquiry. The panel will report directly to the Union Health Ministry and will examine allegations related to workplace stress, departmental factionalism, administrative pressure, and the use of strongly worded notices.

Also read- AIIMS Bhopal: Emergency Dept Assistant Professor attempts suicide, condition critical

Earlier, Medical Dialogues had reported that the assistant professor allegedly attempted suicide by injecting herself with an anaesthetic drug at her home. The drug caused her pulse and heartbeat to drop sharply. Doctors performed CPR and managed to revive her, but her condition remains critical and she is on ventilator support in the ICU..

AIIMS officials on Sunday confirmed that the doctor allegedly administered a high dose of anaesthesia to herself after returning home with a cannula inserted, allowing the drug to enter her bloodstream directly. By the time she was rushed back to the hospital by her husband, she had suffered cardiac arrest. Doctors performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation three times, restoring her heartbeat after about seven minutes.

Since her heart stopped for nearly seven minutes, her brain did not receive enough oxygen, leading to severe brain damage. An MRI conducted 72 hours after the incident revealed extensive injury to brain cells. The report showed that she is suffering from 'Global Hypoxia Brain,' a condition in which the brain is deprived of oxygen for a prolonged period.

According to doctors, she had a cannula (IV line) inserted at the hospital before going home. When she reached home, the doctor administered the drug through the IV line, which allowed the drug to enter her bloodstream directly and spread rapidly throughout her body. During the cardiac arrest and resuscitation, her brain received inadequate blood and oxygen supply, resulting in serious neurological damage.

Now, as per a recent Bhaskar report, the doctor was issued a notice titled Serious Misconduct around 5 PM on the evening of September 10, 2025. In her written response, she stated that the language of the notice was painful, insulting, and mentally disturbing. She clarified that she had not intentionally violated any rules and said the notice caused her severe stress.

She further explained that she had taken academic leave to attend a conference from September 25 to 27, 2025, and had informed the faculty group on August 25 as instructed. She also submitted screenshots showing that the HOD had seen the message.

Meanwhile, the department issued another notice stating that, except for two doctors, all faculty members must now take prior appointments to meet the HOD. She reportedly became mentally distressed after this notice.

After the issue came to light, AIIMS management held an emergency meeting with the Union Health Ministry on Sunday. The meeting decided on the removal of the HOD, restructuring of departments, and a confidential investigation by a high-level committee.

The committee will submit its report directly to the Union Health Ministry. It will also review earlier complaints, including one filed by another assistant professor from the same department against the HOD.