Nagpur: Doctors who save lives are increasingly seeking support for their own mental health, with over 300 medical professionals from across India reaching out to the FAIMA Mental Health Helpline within months of its launch. The free, confidential service was introduced by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) following a series of suicides among medical students and professionals last year.FAIMA chief coordinator and chief advisor Dr Sajal Bansal said the response to the initiative has been overwhelming. “Based on feedback from volunteer doctors across our national network, we conservatively estimate that over 300 medicos from different parts of the country received support. The actual number may be higher, as not all calls are formally logged to ensure strict confidentiality,” he said.According to Dr Bansal, exam-related stress accounted for a majority of the calls, particularly anxiety linked to NEET-PG, super-speciality entrance exams, and post-result uncertainty. “Heavy workload among resident doctors, workplace conflicts, and family-related issues were other major contributors. Stress was evident even among junior medicos – an MBBS intern reached out as recently as a day ago seeking help for an overwhelming situation. In another case, a head of department from a medical college contacted FAIMA to arrange counselling for a distressed student after a professor flagged concerns,” he said.Dr Bansal revealed that three to four calls were categorised as suicide-related emergencies. In such high-risk situations, FAIMA doctors immediately coordinated with local psychiatric departments, colleagues, friends, or hospital staff to ensure on-ground intervention. “Telephonic counselling alone is not sufficient in such cases. Timely coordination helped prevent potential tragedies,” he said.Beyond counselling, FAIMA also expanded its focus to de-addiction support, recognising rising substance use among young medicos due to peer pressure and stress. “Many doctors want to quit, but hesitate to seek help due to stigma. There is hardly any safe platform for doctors to discuss addiction issues. We are trying to fill that gap,” Dr Bansal said.Confidentiality remains the helpline’s cornerstone, he added, allowing doctors to speak with peers from other states and reducing fears of professional or institutional repercussions. Dr Bansal also urged govts to actively promote official mental health initiatives, such as the Tele-MANAS helpline, alongside professional support systems.While Maharashtra appears to contribute a higher number of calls due to its large concentration of medical colleges, FAIMA does not maintain state-wise data to safeguard anonymity. “This helpline exists for doctors, by doctors, with the sole aim of saving lives,” Dr Bansal said.
