Doctors call for overhaul of anaesthetic drug regulations amid suicide concerns

Kochi, June 27 (IANS) A disturbing shift in the pattern of suicides among doctors and healthcare professionals has prompted anaesthetists to seek tighter regulation of high-risk anaesthetic drugs, warning that unrestricted access to such medicines within hospitals has emerged as a serious occupational hazard.

The doctors have also called for a comprehensive scientific study into suicides in the medical fraternity, saying the issue extends beyond mental health and points to a regulatory gap in the handling of anaesthetic drugs.

According to them, more than 20 medical professionals are believed to have died by suicide in Kerala and other parts of the country in recent years.

They contend that unsuccessful suicide attempts among healthcare workers are likely to be several times higher than officially recorded deaths, underscoring the need for systematic research into what they describe as an emerging public health concern.

Dr S. Anzar, an anaesthetist at Government Medical College, Pariyaram, told IANS that doctors and healthcare workers possess specialised knowledge of anaesthetic drugs and have legitimate access to them as part of their profession, creating a unique occupational risk that has received little policy attention.

“These medicines are indispensable for patient care, but the present system does not adequately regulate access once they are available within hospitals. This is no longer just a mental health issue; it is also one of access, accountability and regulation,” he said.

Dr Anzar said observations from recent years suggested a marked shift in the pattern of suicides among medical professionals.

While earlier cases largely involved methods seen in the general population, an increasing number of recent deaths appeared to involve anaesthetic drugs available in hospitals.

Calling for a multi-pronged response, he urged governments, medical colleges, hospitals and professional bodies to treat doctor suicides as both a mental health challenge and a patient-safety issue.

Alongside expanding counselling and psychological support, he advocated bringing commonly used anaesthetic drugs under the stricter Schedule X category of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules instead of the present Schedule H classification.

He also recommended installing Automated Drug Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs) in operation theatres, intensive care units and emergency departments to electronically monitor and restrict access to high-risk medicines.

Dr Harris Azees, an anaesthetist in the private sector, said the existing regulatory framework had failed to keep pace with modern hospital practice.

“Most anaesthetic drugs continue to be classified under Schedule H, allowing them to be dispensed on the prescription of any registered medical practitioner. That framework no longer adequately reflects the risks associated with these medicines. It is time the regulations were revisited and oversight strengthened,” he said.

He added that certain anaesthetic agents leave only a very narrow window for life-saving medical intervention, making prevention through tighter institutional safeguards all the more critical.

Supporting the need for regulatory reforms, veteran anaesthetist Dr Thomas Kurian recalled that during his student days and early years in the profession, he could not remember suicides involving anaesthetic drugs among medical professionals.

“Most cases then involved conventional methods. The change we are witnessing today should prompt serious introspection within the medical community and among policymakers,” he said.

The doctors said medical professionals spend years overcoming intense academic competition before entering one of the country’s most demanding professions.

Protecting their mental well-being while simultaneously strengthening safeguards governing access to high-risk medicines, they said, should now become an urgent priority for governments, regulators and healthcare institutions.

–IANS

sg/pgh