Visakhapatnam: 2 female medical students have committed suicide within the span of the last 5 days at the Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The officials have said that the investigation is ongoing to find the exact reason for their deaths.
On September 24, Dr. P Sailaja was found hanging inside her room at her house in Ramnagar. She was a final-year student of MD General Medicine.
On September 28, Y Sravani, was a first-year PG student of ENT. She hanged herself in her rented house in Chinna Waltair.
According to reports by The Indian Express, the Three Town police station said that Dr. P Sailaja was very upset because her exams did not go well, and she spoke about the same with her family and friends.
She had another exam scheduled for September 24, however, instead of going for the examination, she locked herself in her room and was later found hanging by her parents.
According to the reports, Sravani was a PG student and a resident of Hyderabad; she left behind a suicide note in her room. The note said that no one is to be blamed for her death.
Sravani did her MBBS from Osmania University and then got admission for PG in ENT at Andhra Medical College.
Sravani’s mother told the Indian Express that Sravani was not happy with the ENT course and wanted to quit it and return home to Hyderabad.
According to the reports, the officials said that “As of now, it appears that stress and disappointment over bad performance in exams drove them to take the extreme step. There are indications that Sravani was probably homesick. We are talking to family members and friends and college administrators and exploring all the angles.”
Officials also stated that Sravani had allegedly spoken to her college administration about whether she could quit the course mid-semester and if the college would return her MBBS certificates and let her transfer to another college.
The Andhra Medical College principal said Sravani had submitted a letter to the Head of Department stating that she did not want to continue the ENT course.
As the principal was on leave, the Vice-Principal counselled Sravani. According to the principal, Sravani said she wanted to leave the course and pursue a different field as she was not interested in ENT.
She was subsequently asked to collect her certificates from the Principal's office. When the HoD called her on Monday and she did not respond, PG students were sent to check on her and found her at her rented accommodation.
Dr. K Sandhya Devi, the principal of Andhra Medical College, said that both the students never discussed their issues with the seniors.
She said, “It is tragic and shocking. The campus has plunged into distress and grief; it is too much to process. We are offering support to families of both.”
While the police continue their investigation, State Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav has directed Medical Education Director A Vishu Vardhan to launch a separate inquiry into the incidents.
(Rh/ARC)