A doctor working in a COVID ward at a private hospital in Delhi has ended his life by suicide. Dr. Vivek Rai was working at Max Hospital Saket in Delhi as a resident doctor.
The news of Dr. Rai’s suicide was confirmed by former Indian Medical Association chief Prof Dr. Ravi Wankhedkar on Twitter. “COVID WARRIOR dies by Suicide. Dr Vivek Rai, Resident dr of DNB 1st year at Max Hospital Saket Delhi. He Was doing covid duty since 1 month and was dealing with icu pts every day and was providing cpr and ACLS for about 7 to 8 patients per day in which not many were surviving,” Dr. Wankhedkar tweeted.
His subsequent tweet read, “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 that died on his watch. He was a very briliant doctor from Gorakhpur, UP and has helped to save hundreds of life’s in this covid era. He was newly married in last year Nov & his wife is 2 months into her pregnancy.”
The former IMA chief said that Dr. Rai’s suicide brought home the issue of ‘tremendous emotional strain’ that doctors treating COVID patients were find themselves under during the second wave of the pandemic. “The death of a young dr is nothing short of murder by d “system “ which has created frustrations d/t shortages of basic health care facilities.Bad Science,Bad Politics & Bad Governance.”
This brings into focus d tremendous emotional strain hcws r having while managing C19 crisis.This death of a young dr is nothing short of murder by d “system “ which has created frustrations d/t shortages of basic health care facilities.Bad Science,Bad Politics & Bad Governance
— Prof Dr Ravi Wankhedkar (@docraviw) May 1, 2021
Delhi has become one of the worst places in India to be hit by the second wave of the pandemic with the national capital reporting hundreds of deaths every day.