Rs 20 lakh to quit: Why a doctor at Mumbai’s Sion Hospital felt he couldn’t walk away

At 26, Shivsharanappa Patil was a first-year postgraduate resident in the surgery department at Sion Hospital, working towards his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon. A third-rank holder in his MBBS course, he had chosen Maharashtra for postgraduate training, hoping to build his career in the state.

On Saturday, Patil was found dead in a hospital bathroom after reportedly injecting himself with an anaesthetic drug. He had been on duty for nearly 11 hours, with his shift scheduled to continue until midnight.

“He would enthusiastically tell me about his daily achievements. ‘Pappa, I got to perform a minor surgery today. Pappa, I got to do this today,’” his father, Mallikarjun Patil, a chemist from Yadgir district in Karnataka, told The Indian Express.

But Patil also spoke to his father about the workload and stress he faced at the hospital. According to Mallikarjun, his son felt intimidated by senior doctors and would rush to the hospital at odd hours whenever they messaged him, fearing that any delay would affect how they viewed him. He would leave without even brushing his teeth or showering, his father recalled. On some days, he began work at 8 am and returned home after 1 am.

Signs of exhaustion had emerged nearly three months earlier. In June, Patil allegedly fainted while taking rounds in the outpatient department (OPD), prompting his father to travel to Mumbai and stay with him for nearly a week. During the visit, Mallikarjun was concerned by the condition of the two-bedroom apartment his son shared with colleagues, where dirty laundry and unwashed dishes had accumulated.

In June, Patil allegedly fainted while taking rounds in the outpatient department (OPD), prompting his father to travel to Mumbai and stay with him for nearly a week.

After cleaning the apartment with help from a friend, Mallikarjun urged his son to raise the issue of workload with the head of the surgery unit. He said his son refused, fearing it would affect his training.

“He would tell me, ‘I won’t be given any duties in the operation theatre (OT) if I raise any issues,’” Mallikarjun said.

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Mallikarjun even suggested that his son leave the course if the pressure became unbearable. But Patil was worried about the financial penalty for quitting. Under Maharashtra government rules, resident doctors who leave postgraduate seats on mental health grounds face a fine of Rs 20 lakh. Mallikarjun offered to sell the family’s agricultural land in Deodar to arrange the money, but Patil declined.

Patil had secured third rank in his MBBS course at the Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences (BRIMS) and had obtained a high rank in the NEET-PG exam. He chose Maharashtra for its career opportunities and higher stipend, his father said.

“He could have had his pick of any college, any state, but he chose Maharashtra,” Mallikarjun said.

Meanwhile, authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. “We have recorded the family’s statement. We have not come to any conclusion in this matter. As of now, an Accidental Death Report has been filed and we are investigating the matter from all angles,” a senior official said.

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Dr Pramod Ingle, dean of Sion Hospital, said the hospital management would review its administrative procedures and identify gaps in student support to prevent similar incidents. He said the medical college conducts induction and sensitisation sessions, while some non-governmental organisations also organise programmes for students. However, integrating a large number of students into campus life remains a challenge, he said.

“More than 650 fresh students join the campus every year. The college currently has over 2,000 students, including 1,000 undergraduate medical students, 660 postgraduate students, around 300 nursing students and about 100 super-speciality students,” Ingle said.

Ingle said academic grades were not a source of pressure for postgraduate students, who appear directly for their final examinations. However, he acknowledged that the transition from the theory-oriented MBBS curriculum to hands-on clinical training could be challenging for some students.

“The workload had considerably eased out in the past month and a half in the general surgery department,” he said.