A resident doctor working at Max hospital’s Saket branch in Delhi has died by suicide allegedly battling severe stress amid the deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital said.

The deceased, identified as 35-year-old old Dr Vivek Rai, was found by the police hanging from a ceiling fan at his Malviya Nagar flat. However, the police recovered a suicide note from the spot wherein no allegations were made against anyone.

The doctor was found dead on Friday night by the police after they received a distress call from his wife who complained that Vivek is not opening the door of the flat.

“On 30/04/21 an information was received at PS Malviya vide DD No 76 at 11.16 pm dated 30/4/21, wherein it was mentioned that the husband of the friend of the lady caller isn’t opening the door.”

“After receiving the information ASI Jagdish Kumar reached at the given address and found out that a person was found hanging from a ceiling fan with a saree. The crime team was called at the spot and the scene was inspected.”

“The deceased was identified as Dr Vivek Rai R/o Malviya Nagar Age- 35 Yrs who was working as a doctor in Max Hospital Saket, New Delhi and who was living at the above address with his wife Thorough search of the room was made and a suicide notice was found wherein no allegation was made against anybody by the deceased,” statement by the Delhi police read.

The police also said that at prima facie, the incident appears as a case of suicide. However, futher probe is on, added.

The hospital also released a statement and called the doctor’s death a suicide.

“Dr Vivek Rai, a first year DNB student of Family Medicine at Max Hospital, Saket died today, we believe, by suicide at his residence. Dr Rai had completed his work shift at 2 PM yesterday, as usual. The hospital learnt of his passing from his neighbours. We are deeply pained by his untimely death and extend our sincere condolences to his family,” statement from the hospital read.

Vivek, who is a native of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh is survived by his wife, who is two-month pregnant. He was on Covid duty at the hospital for the last one month. People closed to him said that he had developed depression after dealing with tremendous deaths of Covid-19 patients amid its precarious second wave reeling in the country.

Dr Ravi Wankhedkar former Indian Medical Association (IMA) chief said that Vivek had been dealing with seven to eight critical patients every day, adding that the young doctor-developed depression after more and more people kept dying.

“Due to this frustrating situation he was into, he took such a difficult decision of ending his own life than living with the suffering and emotions of the people who died on his watch,” he said,

“This brings into focus the tremendous emotional strain while managing Covid crisis. This death of a young doctor is nothing short of murder by the ‘system’ which has created frustrations with shortage of basic healthcare facilities. Bad science, bad politics and bad governance,” the former IMA president tweeted.