Delhi doctor working in Covid ward commits suicide due to stress

A residential doctor of a private hospital in Delhi committed suicide due to severe stress amid the deadly second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India.

"He was a very brilliant doctor from Gorakhpur (in Uttar Pradesh) and helped to save hundreds of lives during the pandemic," former Indian Medical Association (IMA) chief Dr Ravi Wankhedkar tweeted as reported by NDTV.

Dr Vivek Rai had been attending the Covid ward at the private hospital for the last one month, the ex-IMA chief said. He had been dealing with seven to eight critical patients every day, Dr Wankhedkar said, adding the young doctor developed depression after more and more people kept dying.

"Due to this frustrating situation he was into, he took such a difficult decision of ending his own life than living with the suffering and emotions of the people who died on his watch," Dr Wankhedkar said, adding Dr Rai is survived by his wife, who is two-month pregnant.

"This brings into focus the tremendous emotional strain while managing Covid crisis. This death of a young doctor is nothing short of murder by the 'system' which has created frustrations with shortage of basic healthcare facilities. Bad science, bad politics and bad governance," the former IMA president tweeted.

The surge in Covid cases in recent weeks have led to what is now being called a deadlier second wave of the pandemic. Social media is full of stories of desperate people trying to find oxygen or a hospital bed for their friends and family.

More and more people this time are complaining of breathlessness, which needs oxygen support. However, the supply of oxygen has become severely limited due to the sudden jump in demand across cities and towns. The centre is running "Oxygen Express" trains carrying tankers to states worst hit by Covid.

Hospitals in the national capital must be given their full quota of medical oxygen today "by whatever means", the Delhi High Court told the centre as it heard petitions on how the health infrastructure is trying to cope with the raging pandemic.