Woman doctor who attempted suicide dies in Hyderabad; father demands judicial inquiry

Dr Dharavath Preethi, 26, the first-year postgraduate student of Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in Telangana’s Warangal who allegedly attempted suicide on February 22 following harassment, was declared dead Sunday night by Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad where she was under treatment. Her father has sought an inquiry by a high court judge into the matter and alleged her senior’s involvement in the death.

“Despite continuous efforts by a multidisciplinary team of specialist doctors, Dr Preethi could not be saved and was declared dead on February 26, 2023 at 9.10 pm,” said a release by NIMS Medical Superintendent Dr N Satyanarayana on Sunday evening.

Before releasing the bulletin, Hyderabad police deployed a massive force around the area to prevent angry members of student organisations from storming the hospital. Even as the bulletin was released, several student organisations staged a protest outside NIMS demanding justice for Dr Preethi. Members of student organisations also tried to block the ambulance carrying her body to Gandhi Hospital for post-mortem. Later, her body was taken to the family’s native place in Jangaon district for final rites.

Dr Preethi was found unconscious in the staff room of MGM Hospital where she was on duty in the early hours of February 22. Last Friday, police arrested Dr Mohammed Saif, a second-year MD student in the same anaesthesia department as Preethi, on the charge of abetment to suicide, besides invoking sections related to ragging and those under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. While Preethi is suspected to have injected herself with a muscle relaxant, the police are awaiting the toxicology examination report.

Preethi’s father D Narender, an ASI with the Railway Protection Force of South Central Railway, said, “Doctors said there was no improvement and her health condition remained as it was when she was first brought here, and there was no chance that she would survive.”

Narender said she had called him on February 20 and broke down on the phone over the alleged harassment by Dr Saif. “I think it was Dr Saif’s harsh actions that led to my daughter’s death. He murdered her. He should receive the strictest punishment. I am not satisfied with the investigation by the Warangal police. We demand an inquiry by a sitting high court judge into this murder,” he said.

Before announcing the news of her death, the doctors at NIMS called Narender, Preethi’s mother, two sisters and brother D Vamshi for counselling. Preethi, who completed her MBBS from Kamineni Medical College, secured a PG seat at KMC and joined for duty on November 20 last year.

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