The government stated on Friday that it does not maintain centralised data on suicide cases in medical educational institutions. Responding to a query in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, outlined measures taken to promote student well-being and address mental health challenges. These initiatives include the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), the National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP), the Tele MANAS app, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. Despite these efforts, specific data on student suicides in medical colleges remains unavailable at the central level.
To enhance mental health support, the Union Education Ministry has urged educational institutions to widely promote NTMHP and Tele MANAS, sharing helpline numbers to aid students during stressful periods. Institutes like AIIMS and central government medical colleges have been directed to encourage the use of Tele MANAS, offering free and confidential mental health services. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has also taken steps to address student well-being, forming a National Task Force to tackle issues like ragging. Students can lodge complaints related to mental health and ragging on the NMC’s website and other grievance portals, with institutions required to implement anti-ragging measures and submit annual compliance reports.
The issue has gained urgency following the recent suicide of a first-year medical student, Anil Methania, in Gujarat, allegedly due to ragging. Over the past five years, 122 medical students, including 64 MBBS and 58 postgraduate students, have taken their lives for various reasons. The NMC has mandated stricter anti-ragging protocols and punitive measures for offenders. Institutions failing to comply face strict action as part of efforts to curb such tragedies and ensure a safer, supportive environment for students.