Chandigarh (Naval Kishore): A 24-year-old first-year postgraduate junior resident doctor, Dr. Yogesh Banga, was found dead in a suspected suicide inside a washroom at the Trauma Centre of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, Chandigarh, during his duty hours.
According to initial reports, Dr. Banga, who was posted in the Department of Internal Medicine, had gone to the washroom during his shift but did not return for an extended period. When colleagues received no response after repeatedly knocking, the door was forced open, and he was found unresponsive.
Hospital staff immediately initiated emergency resuscitation efforts and shifted him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he was later declared dead.
Police from Sector 34 station, along with a forensic team, recovered injection vials and four syringes from the scene. Reports suggest that potassium chloride vials were among the recovered items. No suicide note was found.
Dr. Banga originally hailed from Jalandhar, Punjab, and had joined his residency in Chandigarh only three months earlier.
The Chandigarh Police have initiated inquest proceedings and are recording statements from family members, colleagues, and faculty to determine possible causes, including professional stress and personal factors.
The hospital administration, led by Director-Principal Dr. Ravneet Kaur, has constituted a medical board to conduct a post-mortem and toxicological examination to confirm the exact cause of death.
Following the incident, GMCH authorities have also reportedly begun reviewing mental health support systems for resident doctors to identify early signs of severe stress and distress among medical trainees.
