Mumbai: Citing three recent cases in which resident doctors either attempted suicide or sought to leave postgraduate training, the state Indian Medical Association (IMA) has raised concerns over long duty hours, alleged harassment and weak grievance-redressal systems for PG residents and interns.
It also mentioned the death of medical officer Dr Rajendra Rupnavar, who attempted suicide at Sion railway station on Aug 27 and died at Sion Hospital on Aug 31.
In a letter to the Union health ministry, IMA Maharashtra president Dr Santosh Kulkarni said residents were integral to a hospital’s functioning, but their working conditions often fell short of prescribed norms. IMA’s statement mentioned three cases, beginning with a first-year resident at Govt Medical College, Akola, who reportedly sought to relinquish her PG seat amid allegations of mental harassment and prolonged duty. The second case was of a first-year DNB surgery trainee at a private hospital in south Mumbai who attempted suicide twice following her suspension after she complained about ragging, harassment and duty hours.