Chennai cardiac surgeon, 39, dies of heart attack. CMC Vellore doctor sounds alarm on why doctors are collapsing from heart attacks

It was a scene of bitter irony—one of India’s young lifesavers lost to the very disease he treated. Dr. Gradlin Roy, a 39-year-old cardiac surgeon, collapsed during ward rounds and despite frantic efforts from his colleagues—CPR, stenting, an intra-aortic balloon pump, even ECMO—nothing could undo the damage from a massive cardiac arrest caused by a complete artery blockage. His sudden death has shaken the medical fraternity and sparked urgent warnings from senior doctors.

Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a CMC Vellore–trained neurologist based in Hyderabad, took to X with a stark message: “When the healer falls, it must serve as a wake-up call for doctors’ heart health.” He pointed out that Dr. Roy’s demise is not an isolated tragedy. In recent years, India has lost several doctors in their 30s and 40s to sudden heart attacks—a disturbing trend that underlines the hidden toll of their profession.

Why are doctors suffering heart attacks?

So why are doctors, who know better than anyone how fragile the human heart is, falling prey themselves? According to Dr. Kumar, the reasons are rooted in the unique pressures of medical life.

- Long and erratic working hours disrupt sleep and strain the body’s natural rhythms.

- Constant stress from life-or-death decisions, patient expectations, and medicolegal worries accelerates burnout.

- Hours spent standing in operating theatres or sitting in clinics often leave little time for real exercise.

- Add to that irregular meals, caffeine-heavy diets, missed health check-ups, and in some cases, smoking or alcohol use, and the risks compound.

- The psychological weight cannot be ignored either. Doctors frequently deal with depression, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion, yet rarely seek help. Ironically, in saving others, many delay or neglect their own preventive care until it’s too late.

What should doctors do to take care of their own health?

Dr. Kumar’s warning wasn’t just a diagnosis—it was also a prescription for survival. He urged doctors to -

- Prioritise their own health with the same seriousness they reserve for patients.

- Regular screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol should become non-negotiable.

- Protecting seven hours of sleep, however fragmented, is essential.

- Just 30 minutes of brisk walking or cycling daily can make a difference.

- Equally critical are balanced meals, stress management techniques like yoga or meditation, and building strong peer support systems to combat burnout.

Dr Sudhir Kumar’s most important and urgent message

Perhaps his most important advice was deceptively simple: learn to say no. Not every elective surgery or consultation is urgent, and sometimes the best way to protect patients is for their doctor to first protect their own health.

KMC doctor Aditi Sharma also highlighted the issue on X, calling for reforms in doctors’ working conditions after sharing the news of Dr. Gandhi’s untimely death. She emphasised the need to regulate long shifts, pointing out that Indian doctors often work 36–48 hours straight in high-stress environments, with inadequate rest, poor food, and minimal security.

Gujarat cardiologist died at the age of 41

Previously, renowned Gujarat-based cardiologist Dr. Gaurav Gandhi, 41, passed away from a heart attack in 2023. Having performed over 16,000 heart surgeries in his career, he collapsed near his bathroom shortly after arriving home and was rushed to GG Hospital, where he died within 45 minutes, according to Dr. Nandini Desai, dean of MP Shah Medical College, Jamnagar, in an interview with TOI.

What do World Health Organisation (WHO) studies show?

Working long hours is silently killing people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO), long working hours caused 745,000 deaths in 2016—a 29% jump since 2000. The study found that of these, 3.98 lakhs were from stroke and 3.47 lakhs from heart disease, mostly among people working 55 hours or more each week.

Men made up 72% of these deaths, especially in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. The study found that working such hours raises the risk of stroke by 35% and heart disease by 17% compared to a standard 35–40-hour week.

Voices from the Medical Fraternity

The death of Dr. Gradlin Roy has sparked widespread grief in the medical community. Delhi-based cardio-thoracic and vascular surgeon Dr. Chandranshu Chaudhary noted that prolonged work hours and lack of rest took a serious toll on Dr. Roy’s health, stressing that medical work should be fulfilling, not punishing. Forensic medicine specialist Dr. Dheeraj Maheshwari added that even the most skilled doctors cannot endure chronic stress indefinitely, urging colleagues to prioritise rest and family as essential for well-being.


Apart from a medical fraternity, Satyamurthy Nageswaran, Project Director at Apollo Energy, called for systemic reforms, insisting that hospitals enforce reasonable shift limits, mandatory vacations, and a culture that supports sustainable work practices. The collective message is clear: protecting the health of those who save lives is as critical as the care they provide.

What netizens said

Netizens raised serious concerns over the impact of sleep deprivation on doctors, questioning how they can provide proper care to patients under such conditions. Many compared the situation to pilots, who have mandatory rest hours, and argued that doctors deserve the same safeguards. Users also pointed to the alarming rise in young doctors, often in their 30s and 40s, succumbing to sudden heart attacks. They described this as the tragic reality of the profession—beginning with the struggle for merit seats, followed by the stress of establishing a career, leaving their own health neglected.