College mourns the loss of promising MBBS student
Jamshedpur, August 22: Divyanshu Pandey, 22, a third-year MBBS student at Manipal Tata Medical College (MTMC), Jamshedpur died after allegedly consuming poison on Thursday night, police said on Friday.
Divyanshu, originally from Kashipur in Samastipur district of Bihar, reportedly consumed sulphas tablets around 7 pm at the college premises under Sidhgora police station limits. Despite frantic efforts by his peers and family, he could not be saved.
Eyewitnesses revealed that an ambulance was immediately called after his health deteriorated, but it allegedly failed to arrive even after 45 minutes. With time running out, friends and local residents rushed him to Mercy Hospital in a private car, from where he was referred to Tata Main Hospital (TMH). Doctors at TMH declared him dead after examination.
His elder brother, Sudhanshu Shubham, who was also supporting his studies, told police that he had spoken to Divyanshu on Thursday evening and had noticed no sign of distress. “He did not seem worried at all. I cannot understand why he took this step,” Sudhanshu said in his statement to the Sidhgora police.
Police have initiated an investigation to ascertain the reasons behind the suicide. “The cause of the suicide is still unknown. We are awaiting the post-mortem report,” said the in-charge of Sidhgora police station.
The delay in ambulance response has triggered questions about the emergency medical system. Eyewitnesses described the wait as “agonising” and expressed anger over the inefficiency that forced them to shift the student in a private vehicle.
Meanwhile, the college fraternity is struggling to come to terms with the loss. In an official statement, Manipal Tata Medical College management expressed profound grief, describing Divyanshu as a bright student with immense potential.
“It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the untimely passing of our student, Divyanshu Pandey, from the MBBS 2022–23 batch. He was a promising student and a cherished member of our college family. His loss is a tragedy not only for his loved ones but for the entire MTMC community,” the statement read.
The college further assured full support to his family during this period of immense grief. “We stand in solidarity with his family and friends in this difficult time. Our faculty and staff are deeply pained by his demise, and we extend our heartfelt condolences,” the management added.
Divyanshu’s body was handed over to his brother in the early hours of Friday after formalities were completed at TMH.
The incident has sent shockwaves across the city’s medical fraternity and reignited debates about stress among medical students, as well as gaps in the emergency healthcare response system.
