Two PG medico suicides at Andhra Medical College in a week renew focus on student stress
Two postgraduate medical students at Andhra Medical College (AMC) in Visakhapatnam have died by suicide within a week of each other, prompting concern among students and faculty about the academic and personal pressures that come with medical education.
P. Sailaja, a final-year postgraduate student of General Medicine, died on September 24, according to the police. Her family reportedly suspected that career-related stress may have contributed to her death. The III Town police have registered a case and begun an investigation.
Three days later, on September 27, Y. Sravani, a first-year postgraduate student of ENT and a resident of Hyderabad, died at her rented accommodation in Visakhapatnam. Her body was found on September 28. According to preliminary police findings, she was reportedly not interested in continuing the course.
In Sravani's case, police reportedly recovered a note in which she said that no one should be held responsible for her death and described the reason as personal.
The two deaths have left the AMC student community shocked and set off discussions among postgraduate students about the pressures they face. Several postgraduate students told The Hindu that while stress was evident in both cases, they were not aware of any allegations of harassment. Academic pressure, they said, is an inherent part of medical education and students cope with it differently. They added that the college has mechanisms in place to support students who are struggling.
In Sravani's case, students said her close friends and classmates knew she had been under considerable stress, and that she had been counselled several times by her department.
Her parents, however, say she had been facing severe stress. Her mother said Sravani had called her on September 25 and told her she was finding it difficult to continue staying in Visakhapatnam. She had planned to return to Hyderabad after collecting her certificates on September 26, her mother said.
AMC Principal Sandhya Devi said Sravani had approached the department on Saturday and requested that her certificates be handed over as she wanted to discontinue the course. She was told the documents would be given on Monday. "She never told the reason. She said it was personal," the principal said.
Refuting rumours of harassment on the campus, Ms. Sandhya Devi said the postgraduate students had dined together, and that the incident was unfortunate.
Postgraduate medical training in India is demanding. Residents often work long shifts, face high-stakes examinations and, for those who move to other cities, live away from family support. Regulators have in recent years urged medical colleges to strengthen mentoring and counselling services, and mental health professionals stress that students in distress benefit most when help is easy to access and free of stigma. AMC students said such support systems exist at the college, though the two deaths have raised questions about how quickly students in distress are identified and helped.
The police have urged people experiencing distress to seek immediate support from trusted persons or to contact the police on 100.
Anyone in need of help can contact the government's Tele-MANAS mental health helpline on 14416 or 1-800-891-4416, or the KIRAN helpline on 1800-599-0019. Support is also available at government-run mental health facilities and district hospitals.
