A tragic incident in Chennai has reignited conversations about stress, long working hours, and lifestyle challenges in the medical profession. Dr. Gradlin Roy, a 39-year-old consultant cardiac surgeon at Saveetha Medical College, collapsed and died of a heart attack on Wednesday while making his routine hospital rounds.

What happened inside the hospital

According to colleagues, Dr. Roy suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during rounds. Despite immediate intervention—including CPR, urgent angioplasty with stenting, intra-aortic balloon pump, and even ECMO, efforts to revive him failed.

Hyderabad-based neurologist Dr. Sudhir Kumar shared details on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Colleagues fought valiantly … but nothing could reverse the damage from a massive cardiac arrest due to a 100% left main artery blockage.”

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Dr. Roy is survived by his wife and a young son.

A growing concern: young doctors facing cardiac events

Dr. Roy’s untimely death highlights a troubling trend—sudden cardiac events among young healthcare professionals. Cardiologists and medical experts say his case is far from isolated. Doctors in their 30s and 40s are increasingly reporting heart-related illnesses, often linked to the extreme demands of the profession.

Key risk factors cited by experts:

• Prolonged working hours: Shifts often stretch 12–18 hours, and sometimes beyond 24 hours, without proper rest.
• High stress: Constant exposure to life-or-death situations, medico-legal pressures, and patient expectations intensifies mental strain.
• Unhealthy lifestyle: Irregular meals, lack of sleep, minimal physical activity, and delayed medical check-ups are common among doctors.
• Ignored mental health: Burnout, anxiety, and depression frequently go unaddressed in a profession that prioritizes patient care over self-care.

Why this matters beyond the medical community

The tragedy underscores a paradox: those who dedicate their lives to saving others often neglect their own health. A 2023 study published in the Indian Heart Journal found that Indian doctors report higher-than-average rates of hypertension, obesity, and metabolic disorders compared to the general population.

Public health experts argue that reforms are needed, both at the institutional and policy levels. Recommendations include regulated working hours, mandatory health check-ups for medical staff, access to mental health resources, and structural changes in hospital management to reduce individual workload.

Remembering Dr. Roy

Colleagues described Dr. Roy as a skilled surgeon, deeply dedicated to his patients and students. His death has sparked grief across the medical fraternity and renewed calls to address the silent epidemic of overwork and stress in healthcare.