Telangana: Doctor arrested for suicide attempt by junior

Preethi, who is undergoing treatment at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad after suffering a multi-organ failure while under treatment at Warangal’s MGM Hospital, continues to be critical. According to a hospital bulletin Thursday evening, ECMO and CRRT were initiated to support her deteriorating cardiac, pulmonary and kidney functions. Her vitals are being closely monitored by a multidisciplinary team of doctors.

Meanwhile, junior doctors at KMC-Warangal have called for a strike. Doctors were seen holding placards that read “Pray for Preethi, Stand with Saif”. Earlier, the Telangana Junior Doctors Association issued a statement extending support to Preethi’s family while condemning the allegations against Saif as false. Doctors have sought the charges against Saif to be dropped saying that such interactions between doctors of senior and junior batches were commonplace.

Ranganath said the police had invoked sections of ragging going by its definition in the law. “It would be a common practice but even if one person felt targeted, it is ragging. Saif feels that he was only disciplining Preeti. She felt harassed at the workplace,” he said.

Visited NIMS hospital in #Hyderabad and inquired about the health condition of the medical Student from KMC,#Warangal.

It is painfull to see a PG medico in critical care unit .Consoled her family members & interacted with ICU Drs.
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/8dS8HOxlAH

— Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (@DrTamilisaiGuv) February 23, 2023

Dr K Ramesh Reddy, director of medical education, had earlier ruled out ragging as the cause and said that Preethi and Saif were counselled for their personal differences.

The police, after examining the phones of Preethi and Saif, have concluded that Preethi was persistently harassed. Ruling out sexual harassment or a love angle to the incident, Ranganath said police had relied primarily on chats between the two and their group chats as well as personal chats with other batchmates.

Preethi joined the anaesthesia department in November 2022 and had since felt targeted, according to Ranganath. He said she was a daring girl who questioned seniors, which did not go down well with the latter. On February 18, Saif admonished Preethi in their internal WhatsApp group over a particular incident. She felt insulted and responded personally to Saif saying, “Mind your own business. You are trying to insult me. In case you have anything to say, you should tell my HoD.” The police said they had found multiple such instances during the investigation.

Preethi’s father D Narender, an ASI with the Railway Protection Force, last spoke with his daughter on the eve of the incident. According to Narender, Preethi was being forced to work overtime by Saif, who also always found fault with her work. The father tried to contact police officials and gave an oral complaint to the local sub-inspector on the same night.

The sub-inspector took up the issue with college principal Dr D Mohan Das and head of the department Dr Nagarjuna Reddy. According to Ranganath, Dr Reddy spoke to Saif and then Preethi. Denying negligence on the part of the college, the commissioner said Saif was warned against such behaviour and that further inquiry was initiated.

The police believe Preethi injected herself with a muscle relaxant that is part of the emergency kit for anaesthetists. They have also found injections of other similar drugs. “We think she attempted suicide. The last search on her phone is about what happens if a healthy person takes this drug. Doctors believe it was a cardiac arrest. We are awaiting the toxicology examination report in one or two days,” said the commissioner.

Also, an internal inquiry by a three-member committee was ordered by the authorities at KMC and MGM.

Meanwhile, state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged a ‘love jihad’ angle to the incident and said the police were protecting the accused. “This is not only a case of ragging but also of ‘love jihad’. We are witnessing a number of ‘love jihad’ cases in Telangana. Money is coming from abroad to target Hindu girls. Hindu girls are being sexually harassed. Hindu girls are being targeted openly. Police are trying to save the culprit in the case,’’ he said.

Ranganath, however, dismissed the claim and said messages circulated on social media were misleading. “People are saying whatever they want for their own political agenda. There is no truth in this,’’ he said.

Health Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday assured the best treatment for Preethi at the NIMS and said that a full investigation would be followed by stringent action against the culprits. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan visited the NIMS the same day to enquire about the young doctor’s health and the treatment offered to her.

— With inputs from Sreenivas Janyala