TISS student dies after medical emergency; fraternity movement questions campus response, seeks inquiry

The death of 26-year-old P. Janarthanan, a first-year Master of Public Health (Health Administration) student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, after a medical emergency during class on September 7 has prompted questions from the Fraternity Movement TISS over the institution’s emergency medical preparedness.

According to a statement issued by the student group, Janarthanan suffered a medical emergency at around 9:05 am while attending a class. The group said it took nearly 15 minutes for him to be brought to the campus health centre. The group alleged that no doctor was on duty and no ambulance was available on campus.

The group said Janarthanan was subsequently taken to Zen hospital in a private vehicle following the Dean’s advice. It has questioned the absence of immediate emergency transport and the decision to take the student to Zen Hospital, pointing out that BARC Hospital is located adjacent to the TISS new campus and that Shatabdi hospital is also nearby.

The Fraternity Movement has raised questions about the institution’s emergency response, including why no doctor was available at the campus health centre, why there was no campus ambulance or emergency transport facility, and what the actual response time was between the emergency being reported and medical help being reached.

It also questioned why a private vehicle was used to transport a student in critical condition and whether existing emergency protocols were followed.

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Professor thought it was gastric trouble: Fraternity Movement

According to the group’s account, Janarthanan began experiencing breathlessness during class at around 9:05-9:10 am. The class was being conducted by the Dean of the School of Health Systems Studies and Dean of Student Affairs. The statement said a professor initially considered the problem to be gastric trouble and spoke to students about their eating and sleeping habits.

The group said students in the class, including MBBS students, recognised the seriousness of the situation and began asking for an ambulance. It added that the professor also tried to find ambulance contacts but could not find one.

The statement further alleged that Janarthanan’s classmates took him outside the classroom and made him sit under a fan for around 15 minutes while they tried to arrange transportation to a hospital. When students asked for the campus doctor, they were reportedly told that the doctor would arrive around 10 am.

The group said there was no ambulance or campus vehicle available to take Janarthanan to a hospital, leaving a student’s private car as the available option. The Fraternity Movement said the same professor then instructed students to take Janarthanan to Zen Hospital, saying arrangements had been made there. According to the group, TISS and Zen Hospital have an insurance tie-up.

The statement said it took around 15-20 minutes to reach Zen Hospital. It claimed that Janarthanan repeatedly said on the way that he would die. When the students reached the hospital, he reportedly had no pulse. Doctors attempted CPR, administered adrenaline and carried out other revival measures for around 40-50 minutes, according to the statement. The group said Janarthanan died at around 10 am.

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The organisation has also questioned why Janarthanan was taken to Zen Hospital when BARC Hospital is located adjacent to the TISS New Campus. It said an appropriate emergency response system should ensure that a student facing a life-threatening medical emergency is taken immediately to the nearest appropriate emergency facility.

The group has demanded that TISS establish a proper emergency protocol and sign an MoU with BARC Hospital for emergency cases involving students and staff. It has also called for an independent inquiry into what happened, including an examination of the emergency response timeline and the decisions taken during the incident.

The Fraternity Movement further raised concerns over the administration’s communication following Janarthanan’s death. According to its statement, Janarthanan died around 10 am, but there was no official communication from the Office of Student Affairs for several hours.

Separately, the TISS Speak page expressed condolences over Janarthanan’s death and identified him as a first-year student of the School of Health Systems Studies. The post said the TISS community shared the grief of his family and friends.