Houseofficer found dead, allegedly suicide

Just heard this from Facebook, and the news source is from China press (Google translated version). The gist of the story is that the Houseofficer is a graduate from Uruguay (this is the first time I’ve heard of Malaysians going there to study medicine), and was allegedly found dead in the toilet of the pediatric intensive care unit of Kajang hospital, apparently from suicide by lethal injection. At this point, our thoughts and prayers go out to the deceased’s family in this difficult time for them. It is very sad that the pressure of internship can take such a toll but suicide in the medical profession is not unknown, often stemming from depression which has been reported to be as high as 15-30% amongst medical students and residents. Long hours (which I thought would be already less with the “shift work” being implemented) or perhaps the stress coping because of training in a country where the medical system may not adequately prepare one for working as a doctor in Malaysia are likely contributing factors. One wonders how frequently house officers might be driven to contemplate suicide due to job pressure. We certainly heave hear from some who have wanted to quit.

Related link:
Medical Student Distress and the Risk of Doctor Suicide