Healthcare workers are the bastion of protection for the sick and infirm all over the world against diseases, disabilities and death. The present generation of these stalwarts are threatened by a slew of health issues of their own. The chronic stress of the work associated with the toxicity of workplace environment, unfettered professional competitiveness, fear and anxiety of blowback from a litigious clientele and poor coping mechanisms is causing sudden cardiac deaths, mental anxiety, depression, self-harm tendencies and suicidal ideation. In India where doctors are glorified as “God’s messengers” and “Angels in disguise”, the “good doctor trap” of being “heroes” is leading to a silent crisis where studies have suggested that the life span of doctors in 10years less than that of an average individual. The struggles begin as early as a doctor’s student life and are exponentially amplified as they progress into their professional careers. The alarming trend has seen an uptick since the COVID pandemic where the warriors after the war were left to tend to themselves the sacrifice and struggles forgotten by the people they served.! In a study conducted among the members of Indian Medical association between 2018-2023, there was an increase in the number of deaths of doctors from 56.5/1000 in 2018 to 97.1 /1000 in 2023. A study conducted by the World Health Organization indicated that at least a quarter of health care workers reported anxiety, depression and burnt-out symptoms between 2020 to 2022 with no significant drop in the numbers as the years have progressed. The medical fraternity now alarmed by these statistics are finally waking up to the consequences of toxic self-sacrifice disguised as martyrdom. It is about time strategies addressing implementation of evidence-based policies prioritizing and safeguarding the health of doctors are seriously considered and designed globally. 

Karen Harshitha has completed her Doctor of Medicine Master’s degree in Forensic Medicine at the age of 30 years from reputed Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute affiliated to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, India. She has also done her Diplomate of National Board in Forensic Medicine from the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, obtaining Gold medals from both the Universities for achieving the highest scores. She has Post graduate Diplomas in Medical law and Ethics and Human rights law from the National Law School of India University Bangalore dedicated in pioneering the best legal education reforms. She is currently working at a University of dedicated to medical education and vows to improve the quality of the health care professionals from the point of inception.