Chennai cardiac surgeon, 39, dies of ‘massive cardiac arrest’ during rounds at hospital

A neurologist reported that a 39-year-old cardiac surgeon suffered a collapse, and despite the earnest efforts of his colleagues, he tragically passed away.

A post about a 39-year-old Chennai doctor’s death while doing rounds in the hospital has sent shockwaves across the nation. Neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar tweeted that the doctor, a cardiac surgeon, died after suffering a “massive cardiac arrest.”

A 39-year-old Chennai cardiac surgeon who died of cardiac arrest. (X/@hyderabaddoctor, Unsplash (Representative image))

“When the Healer Falls: A Wake-Up Call for Doctors’ Heart Health,” doctor Kumar wrote, adding, “Yesterday morning brought heartbreaking news. Dr. Gradlin Roy, a 39-year-old cardiac surgeon, collapsed during ward rounds. Colleagues fought valiantly-CPR, urgent angioplasty with stenting, intra-aortic balloon pump, even ECMO. But nothing could reverse the damage from a massive cardiac arrest due to a 100% left main artery blockage. My heartfelt condolences. Om Shanti.”

In the following lines, Doctor Kumar listed reasons which make medical practitioners more prone to heart attacks - “long, erratic work hours,” “unhealthy eating patterns,” “sedentary lifestyle,” “psychological burden,” “high stress levels,” “higher incidence of smoking and alcohol abuse,” and “neglect of preventive care.”

An individual posted, “The sleep deprivation has started to trouble me as I'm a victim of it.” Another added, “When doctors have sleep deprivation, how are they able to do justice with patients? Pilots have compulsory rest time. Why can't doctors have it?” Kumar replied, “Sleep-deprived doctors can make errors in diagnosis and treatment. However, many doctors especially juniors have no choice of taking off from work, when sleep-deprived. Patients should refuse to seek treatment from sleep-deprived doctors.”

A third remarked, “Sad, prayers & strength to the family.” A fourth wrote, “The list of various factors also applies to every single person who lives in cities. Stress and materialistic thinking are the cause of not only cardiac arrest, but also other illnesses related to the lifestyle of individuals.”

(HT.com has reached out to Dr Sudhir Kumar. This report will be updated when he responds.)