Dr Chhaya Gautam

 

 

 A 29-year-old postgraduate medical student pursuing MD in Radiotherapy at Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Medical College (Pt JNMMC), Raipur, allegedly committed suicide at her residence in Kusmunda, Korba, on Thursday morning. The deceased, Dr Chhaya Gautam, hailed from a humble background and was known for her academic diligence. She was an alumna of Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS), Bilaspur, and had recently secured permanent posting as Junior Resident in the Psychiatry Department at Government Medical College (GMC), Korba. According to police sources from Kusmunda police station,

 

Dr Chhaya had returned to her family home in Vikasnagar, House No. M-55, about 15 days ago. On the day of the incident, her parents had left for medical treatment in Vaishali Nagar. Upon returning around 9 am, they found her hanging inside the house. Meanwhile, peer sources confirmed that Dr Chhaya had been under treatment for clinical depression and was receiving counseling from institutional psychiatrists. On condition of anonymity, a peer from her CIMS batch revealed that Chhaya had previously attempted suicide two months ago and remained under regular supervision via calls and messages. “She was under severe academic and clinical pressure in Radiotherapy. Despite that, she was hopeful and preparing to resume her duties at GMC Korba,” the peer said.

 

Investigators confirmed she had maintained a taxing schedule - starting 8 a.m. daily and often continuing till late night - which added to her mental health strain. While no suicide note has been recovered, the family has been cooperative in providing medical records to assist the ongoing investigation. Dr Rakesh Gupta, Patron of Junior Doctors Association (JUDO) and Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) Medical Cell, said, “This tragic loss calls for immediate reforms in the structure of postgraduate medical training. It’s time to adopt the National Medical Commission’s guidelines with humanity and urgency. Young doctors cannot be left to bear relentless pressure without institutional empathy.”