Work stress seems only reason: Police

Vadodara: Immense work-related stress is emerging as the only plausible reason for the suicide of third-year MBBS student who hanged himself in the hostel of GMERS Medical College, Gotri.
The 22-year-old student, Siddharth Bhadrecha, was on Covid duty at the hospital till April 30.
“His suicide note stated that he was ending his life due to stress. We questioned his friends and room-mates but they said that he never talked about any stress. Neither his family knows anything. We haven’t come across any personal problems he was facing. So, it must be work related stress,” said a police official.
Police said they are waiting for his mobile call records to get some clues. Interestingly, the cops handed over Siddharth’s mobile phone to his family instead of sending it for forensic examination to get details of his Whatsapp chats.
Sources in the medical fraternity and hospitals told TOI that the MBBS students posted on duty at Gotri GMERS Hospital are under pressure to not give any adverse statement about their working conditions while on Covid duty, lest it shows the authorities in poor light.
Many medical students and doctors are under severe pressure to work round-the-clock after the Covid cases spiked a couple of months ago.
Siddharth had ended his life late on the night of May 4 by hanging himself in his hostel room. His roommate learnt about Siddharth’s suicide the next morning and informed the authorities. When the cops reached the spot, they found a suicide note written by Siddharth. He said that he was ending his life as he was under stress.
In his three-page suicide note, Siddharth had written that he couldn’t be a good son and brother. He thanked his parents and even mentioned his friends as well as lecturers.
He also wrote about his dreams of buying a car and a motorbike, and how he wanted to live his life as a good person. Siddharth’s parents live in Mangrol taluka of Junagadh district and they are in the fishing business.