Society of Resident Doctors Accuses System of Exhausting Young Doctors

The Multidisciplinary Society of Resident Doctors (SMMR) has sent a message of condolences after the death of a 32-year-old resident doctor at the Floreasca Emergency Hospital in Bucharest, stressing that the tragedy represents "a warning sign” regarding the pressures to which young doctors are subjected. In a post published on Facebook, representatives of the Multidisciplinary Society of Resident Doctors drew attention to the fact that the situation is not an isolated one: "We are deeply devastated by the death of our colleague, a fifth-year resident doctor at Floreasca Hospital, found breathless during Saturday's shift. We send our condolences to the family and to all those who knew him. This is not an isolated case. It is a warning sign of a system that exhausts and abandons its young doctors.” According to the SMMR, long shifts, burnout syndrome, psychological pressure and stigmatization of mental health problems are major problems faced by resident doctors. "Doctors save lives, but who saves them?”, the organization's representatives also said.

• The investigation is ongoing

According to information provided by the Bucharest Municipality Police General Directorate (DGPMB), the Homicide Service opened an investigation after a 32-year-old man, a resident doctor, was found unconscious in a hospital ward in the capital. He was later pronounced dead. The investigations are being conducted under the coordination of prosecutors from the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bucharest Tribunal, who are to establish the circumstances in which the event occurred. The body was also transported to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.

• An older debate on the working conditions of residents

The statements of the Multidisciplinary Society of Resident Doctors bring to the attention of the problems repeatedly reported by professional organizations regarding the high workload, the high number of on-call shifts and their impact on the physical and mental health of medical personnel at the beginning of their careers. In the absence of official conclusions of the investigation, the exact circumstances of the death have not been made public.