SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 21: Alarmed by the growing number of suicides among medical professionals, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has launched a Mental Health Redressal Helpline (MHRH) to provide support to residents, doctors, and medical students.
FAIMA’s national co-chairman, Dr. Jaideep Kumar Choudhary, announced that the helpline will function 20 hours a day, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., throughout the week. A dedicated panel of psychiatrists has been formed to respond to calls from medicos seeking assistance.
Awareness Drive in Jharkhand
Dr. Choudhary, who hails from Jharkhand, said that a special campaign will be launched in the state to spread awareness about the helpline so that medical professionals can benefit from the initiative. The FAIMA Jharkhand unit has already circulated helpline numbers to MBBS students and doctors across the state.
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In addition, a joint team of FAIMA, Junior Doctors Network (JDN), and Medical Students Network (MSN) will visit all 10 government and private medical colleges in Jharkhand — including RIMS Ranchi, CIP Ranchi, MMCH Palamu, LCMCH Bishrampur, SBMCH Hazaribagh, MGMMCH, TMMCH Jamshedpur, SNMMCH Dhanbad, AIIMS Deoghar, and PJMCH Dumka. These visits will brief MBBS students and resident doctors on how to access and use the helpline.
Support from CIP Experts
Experts from the Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Ranchi, are also collaborating with FAIMA in addressing the sensitive issue of suicides among medical professionals. Their involvement is expected to strengthen the effectiveness of the helpline and outreach programs.
Rising Cases in Jharkhand
Suicides among medicos have shaken Jharkhand in recent years, particularly at RIMS, Ranchi. On October 21, 2024, junior doctor Dr. Akash Bhengra died by suicide after jumping from a hostel roof. A year earlier, on November 2, 2023, the charred body of PG student Dr. Madan Kumar was found in Hostel No. 2. In an earlier incident in 2016, a female MBBS student had also taken her life in the hostel.
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Addressing Academic Pressure
According to Dr. Choudhary, excessive workload and academic pressure are major reasons why young doctors and MBBS students take extreme steps.
Recognizing the gravity of the issue, Dr. B. Srinivas, Secretary of the National Medical Commission (NMC) and Deputy Director of Medical Education in the Union Health Ministry, has assured that a National Task Force will be set up to review curriculum-related stress on medical students.
