AIIMS Patna Gynaecology medico suicide: Doctors blame Excessive Workload, demand enforcement of duty hour regulations

New Delhi: Following the tragic death of a first-year postgraduate medico in AIIMS Patna’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, the doctors have demanded urgent action against the institute's management for its failure to implement work hour regulations and called for an independent investigation into the doctor’s death.

In a letter addressed to the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, the United Doctors Front (UDF) association highlighted that the doctor was made to work a 36-hour shift, which allegedly went unchecked by the institute's HOD and Dean. As a result, he was overburdened, faced extreme toxicity, and endured excessive duty hours, ultimately pushing him to take the extreme step.

The association held the management responsible for failing to implement work regulations or prevent bullying, calling it a gross dereliction of duty. "This preventable tragedy, driven by a toxic work culture, unchecked harassment, and excessive duty hours. Mental and physical harassment and unregulated workloads enabled a culture that destroyed Dr. ***," the letter reads.

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It further raised concerns about the severe burnout crisis among India’s medical professionals, exacerbated by long working hours and inadequate mental health support. They alleged that resident doctors are working 70-100 hours per week, which is a clear violation of the AIIMS 48-hour limit.

UDF also criticised the institute’s handling of the situation following the doctor's death. The association alleged that the management showed neither sympathy nor regret towards the grieving parents. The deceased doctor’s parents, who travelled from Odisha to Patna, were reportedly denied a meeting with officials and had to move his body to PMCH Patna for post-mortem due to a lack of trust in the AIIMS administration. The association called this behaviour an example of the toxic culture fostered by the institute's leadership.

Medical Dialogues recently reported that a junior resident doctor and a first-year postgraduate student in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room. Doctors at the institute reported that the medico injected a high dose of anaesthetic drug. Resident doctors and students of AIIMS alleged that the administration attempted to suppress the incident. They claimed that the authorities threatened the residents into silence and failed to properly attend to the deceased’s family, who were reportedly mistreated upon their arrival.

The UDF has now demanded a transparent, external probe into the toxic culture, targeting the negligence in addressing harassment, bullying, and workload imbalances, with a public report within 60 days. They also demanded strict adherence to the 48-hour weekly work limit across AIIMS institutions, with monthly audits, automated scheduling systems, and penalties for violations to end exploitative hours.

Further, they called for the establishment of mandatory grievance redressal cells with anonymous reporting, regular mental health screenings, and compulsory counselling services across AIIMS campuses to combat bullying and support the mental well-being of resident doctors.

Commenting on the matter, Dr. Yagika Pareek, National Spokesperson, UDF said in a press release, “The loss of Dr. *** is a tragic wake-up call to enforce AIIMS’s own work hour policies. We urge immediate action to create sustainable, supportive work environments for India’s healthcare workforce.”

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