IMA forms panel to look at doctors’ suicides; report on Tadvi case soon

The committee will comprise five senior IMA members who will talk to Dr Tadvi’s friends in and outside the medical college, family members and professors to understand the case.

The country’s largest body of doctors, Indian Medical Association (IMA), has constituted a committee to evaluate suicide cases among doctors across India following the controversy surrounding the death of Dr Payal Tadvi, a trainee doctor at BYL Nair Hospital. The first case that this committee will probe is Dr Tadvi’s suicide. The report will be submitted in a week’s time to the IMA’s national president, Dr Santanu Sen.

The country’s largest body of doctors, Indian Medical Association (IMA), has constituted a committee to evaluate suicide cases among doctors across India following the controversy surrounding the death of Dr Payal Tadvi (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

The committee will comprise five senior IMA members who will talk to Dr Tadvi’s friends in and outside the medical college, family members and professors to understand the case.

Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, a former national president of the IMA, and one of the committee members said this is the first time a committee is being set up by the IMA to evaluate such deaths among doctors.

“It is a well-known fact that resident doctors in government hospitals carry an inhuman workload and suffer burn out and depression, often a reason for suicide among residents,” said Dr Jayesh Lele of IMA, Maharashtra. He said Dr Tadvi’s case stood out because of the allegations of caste-based discrimination driving her to commit suicide. “This is a big issue,” he said.

Although the IMA has no power to punish anyone, it can send recommendations to the government.

In this case, the IMA may draw up a white paper to deal with caste-based discrimination within the medical fraternity.

The committee will submit its report to IMA national president in a week’s time.