Surat: Resident doctor dies of pneumonia, family blames torture by seniors

Surat : The Government Medical College in the New Civil Hospital (NCH) campus in Surat is facing mounting scrutiny after the death of a young resident doctor, Dr. Rajendra Ramani, due to pneumonia. The 26-year-old’s family has alleged in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that their son suffered prolonged physical torture, mental harassment, and ragging by senior doctors, leading to his tragic demise on January 2.

“My son’s death should not become another statistic,” wrote Dr. Ramani’s father, Dinesh Ramani, in the letter. “We demand stringent action and legal steps against those responsible for his suffering, to ensure justice is served not only for my son but for all students facing similar cruelty within the medical college.”

Dr. Ramani, a resident physician in the Department of Surgery, reportedly fell ill in the second week of December. His family alleges that the unit head and senior resident doctor of the department subjected him to inhumane ragging and torture, contributing to his deteriorating health. On December 31, he fell unconscious and was admitted to the same hospital, where he succumbed to pneumonia two days later.

Dean of Civil Medical College, Dr. Ragini Verma, acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and confirmed the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the matter. “The committee will submit its report within 10 days,” she stated, “and if any wrongdoing is found, appropriate action will be taken against those responsible.”

This incident has sent shockwaves through the medical community, raising concerns about the prevalence of ragging and bullying within medical colleges.