Loni:In an unfortunate incident, a second-year pediatric resident doctor atPravara Institute of Medical Sciences,Loni, reportedly committedsuicidein his room recently. Post his demise, his colleagues have alleged that he was suffering from pressure due to an alleged extreme workload, toxic work culture, and constant humiliation by the head of the Pediatrics Department. Taking the allegations seriously and acting on the demands of the junior doctors, the administration of Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) have constituted an enquiry committee for investigation and suspended the HOD until the release of the enquiry report. According to an open letter written by his colleagues, shared on the social media platform ‘X’ by a user, the deceased postgraduate doctor in his second year was consistently harassed and humiliated by the HOD, which they claimed had reportedly driven him to take this extreme step. In the letter, they have demanded that the higher authorities at Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences and the National Medical Commission take strict action against the concerned professor. The toxic work culture allegations surfaced after the doctor, a native of Telangana, was found dead in his room on September 27, 2025. His colleagues alleged that the HOD fostered a toxic and abusive environment in the department, causing severe mental and physical stress to the deceased doctor. The doctors even pointed out that they invest Rs 28 lakhs per year for education but in return are left with endless shifts and constant humiliation. They claimed that all junior doctors in the pediatrics department, including the deceased, were forced into 40+ hours of continuous duty by overlooking their health condition, subjected to mental harassment, verbal abuse, humiliation, clerical work, and even pressured to buy expensive gifts such as sarees and iPhones for the HOD. Also read-Toxic Work Culture allegations rocks Gandhi Medical College Bhopal: 5 resident doctors threaten mass suicide "We are the junior doctors in the Pediatrics Department at Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, and we are breaking our silence because we are afraid for our lives. Our world, once filled with the dream of healing children, has become a prison of fear and harassment," stated the letter. "Our colleague died because he couldn’t "impress" her enough, even while doing her personal clerical work. His final act was one of despair after being insulted in her office. Many of us feel the same despair," added the doctors in the open letter. Through the letter, they pleaded for urgent intervention by the higher authorities at Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences and the National Medical Commission to address the issue and take action against the HOD. "We feel locked and dead inside, too scared to speak up. We are pleading with the world outside our bubble. Look into this. Share this story. Demand that the higher authorities at Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences and the National Medical Commission take action. This cannot be another life lost in vain. We need change, and we need it now," the letter added. Strongly condemning such alleged exploitative and toxic culture within medical institutions, Central MARD, in an official statement, expressed sorrow and alleged that such conditions are unacceptable and contribute to severe mental and emotional distress. "We are committed to escalating this matter to the highest authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and justice for Dr. Vinod Kumar Goud. No young doctor should lose their life to workplace harassment," said the association. Further, the representatives of Central MARD have urged the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into this matter and also provide a comprehensive explanation to ensure transparency and clarity. In response, the PIMS authorities issued an official statement suspending the HOD and confirmed the formation of an enquiry committee. It assured cooperation with all statutory and regulatory bodies to ensure transparency. "Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be university) expresses deep sorrow at the untimely demise of **, a postgraduate student in the Department of Pediatrics. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues during this moment of grief. We are aware of messages circulating on social media regarding this incident. While we understand the emotions and concerns expressed, we respectfully urge everyone to refrain from drawing premature conclusions or spreading unverified allegations. Such messages, though well-intentioned, can cause additional distress to the bereaved family and may hinder a fair and thorough inquiry," reads the statement. Speaking to , Dr Deepak Kavhar, State Convenor of Central MARD, said, "I have talked with the colleagues of Dr ***. They have told me that they are under constant work pressure. They don't even have proper time to have a meal, take rest and look after their health. The atmosphere in the pediatric department is very toxic." Also read-Neurosurgeon found dead in Rajasthan hotel room