VISAKHAPATNAM: The deaths by suicide of two postgraduate medical students of Andhra Medical College (AMC) within five days have left students and faculty in shock. Responding to the death of Sravani, AMC Principal Dr KVSM Sandhya Devi said the first-year ENT PG student had not brought any personal or academic problem to our or college administration notice.
Sravani had completed her MBBS in Hyderabad and joined the ENT PG course at AMC after selecting the subject during counselling. She was staying in a rented house in Vizag.
The Principal said Sravani submitted a letter to the HoD stating that she did not want to continue the course. The letter was forwarded to her office. As she was on leave that day, the Vice-Principal counselled Sravani.
“She said she wanted to leave and take up a different field as she was not interested in the course,” Dr Sandhya Devi said. As Sravani had decided to leave the course, she was asked to collect her certificates from the Principal’s office on Monday. On Monday, when the HoD called her and she did not respond, PG students were sent to check on her. They found her hanging at her residence and informed the police. The body was shifted to the mortuary.
Dr Sandhya Devi said Sravani had not told anyone the reason for leaving the course. After other PG students learnt about her decision, they spent time with her to find out what was troubling her. However, she told that it was a personal matter and that she would not share the reason.
The Principal said the students and the college administration would have helped her had she shared her problems. She said welfare of UG and PG students is a priority for administration.
An AMC student said the college was still dealing with the death by suicide of another PG student, Shailaja, last week when Sravani died.
The student said Sravani was a first-year PG student in ENT and was not interested in the subject or medical field. The student said she had joined the course under pressure. According to the student, concerns about Sravani had been noticed for about a week before her death and she was receiving counselling. Based on this, Vizag police launched a probe.
