Patna: Medical students at Patna AIIMS have launched a protest following the death of Dr Yajuvendra Sahu, a first-year MS student, demanding justice and institutional accountability. The incident has sparked outrage on campus, with students accusing the administration of negligence and mishandling of mental health issues faced by young doctors.
Dr Sahu, a resident of Odisha, was found unconscious in his hostel room and later died during treatment in the emergency ward. While the official cause of death is yet to be confirmed, students allege that Dr Sahu died by suicide due to intense academic pressure and administrative apathy. They cite a previous case involving a doctor from Haryana who also reportedly died by suicide under similar circumstances.
Posters and placards with slogans such as “When ego goes ahead, empathy dies”, “Doctors heal others, who will heal them?” and “Mental health matters for doctors too” have been pasted across the AIIMS Patna campus. The protestors are calling for better mental health support systems, a safer working environment, and an investigation into the systemic issues contributing to the crisis.
In response, the AIIMS administration has attempted to curtail the demonstrations by issuing an order to close the girls’ hostel by 10pm. However, this move only intensified the unrest, prompting students to gather outside the hostel at night in continued protest.
Currently, AIIMS Patna is under the temporary leadership of Dr Saurabh Varshney, Executive Director of AIIMS Deoghar, who has been appointed as interim director of Patna AIIMS for three months. The administration has stated that a meeting will be held within the next two to three days once the director returns from an overseas trip.
