Dr. George P. Abraham's Suicide Highlights Toxic Work Culture For Doctors In India: Liv Doctor
The suicide of renowned urologist Dr. George P. Abraham, following his dissatisfaction with his job and concerns over age affecting his performance, has raised concerns about the work culture for doctors in India. Commenting on the recent tragedy, hepatologist Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as ‘The Liver Doctor’ on social media, has blamed the public perception of senior doctors with many patients as the best option in India.
The Liver Doctor, in his post on X, who always makes sure to add his opinion on medical and societal issues, wrote that when senior doctors all around the world retire at the age of 65 and enjoy the rest of their lives, in India, senior doctors have to spend their nights picking up calls and answering silly doubts from people. In his post, he stated that many people in India still believe that senior doctors, with many options, are always the best option, while leaving the hardworking, up-to-date, and well-read junior doctors as “inexperienced”.
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“For a patient or their family a doctor who picks up their call at night and answers their silly questions at any time of the day or responds to a completely different patient query and vague reports send over Whatsapp is a “great, noble doctor.”
He died by suicide at the age of 77.
At the age of 77.He was rich.
Zero financial woes.Let that sink in.
In other parts of the world, senior doctors retire at 65 and enjoy the rest of their lives.
It is not always about the money.In India, senior doctors are overworked… pic.twitter.com/z9McmOpHdN
— TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) March 5, 2025
Advising doctors to consider the profession as a job and not make it a religion, he further added, “Doctors must start seeing this profession as a job, a means of earning comfortably, and not get married to it. Take charge of your health. Take charge of your family life. Set up your own small clinic to earn on the side, and not just work at a big hospital where you drain yourself out.”
Further, he highlighted that there are several doctors who had to resort to drinking, as they have nothing to look forward to except their patients in their lives. “Diversify your actions. Do something beyond work. Work is not everything. Take small breaks. Travel. See places around. Play a bit in stock markets. Engage beyond the hospital. Play games. Take up a sport. Join a group. Visit new cafes. Learn to unwind,” he adviced.
Elaborating on the toxic work culture the doctors have to endure each day, he wrote that, most of them had to see many patients, perform infinte procedures, spend extra hours in hospital, return home late and sleep than the other doctors and all these are considered to be normal in India. He notes it to be an unhealthy obsession which will take over ones physical as well as mental health.
“The corporate medical world does not care for you, but you can care for yourself if you want to and have a comfortable life. It is possible, once you start thinking about it,” he concluded.
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Dr George P. Abraham, renowned urologist and renal transplant specialist was found hanging at his farmhouse in Ernakulam, Kerala, late Sunday night. He was 74. Police recovered a suicide noted from his body in which he had mentioned how he was distressed over not being able to continue his medical practice with excellence as age affecting his performance. As per the report, recently he had developed shivering in his hands and it has impacted his practice as a surgeon.
