Belgaum, Jun 9: (DHNS): A life for a life. Holding himself responsible for the death of his doctor-friend, on whom he administered anaethesia on the operating table, another doctor ended his life here on Monday. 

Dr Sunil Yadav was adminstered anaesthesia by Dr Vivek Sawant just before he was to undergo a knee surgery during an orthoscopic workshop organised as part of the continued medical education (CME) at a private hospital here. During the operation, Yadav suddenly collapsed and died.

A delegation to the CME, in which atleast 100 doctors from Delhi, Hyderabad, Maharashtra and Karnataka participated, Yadav, an orthopaedic from Miraj, decided to undergo a knee surgery. He was accompanied to the CME by his colleague and friend Sawant, an anaesthesiologist from Ichalkaranji in Maharashtra.

After being wheeled into the OT on Sunday, Yadav was adminstered anaesthesia  by Sawant. But, midway through the operation Yadav’s body parametres collapsed and he was rushed to KLE hospital where he was declared brought dead.

A shocked Sawant left the hospital weeping. Later, he was found dead in his car on the Pune-Bangalore national highway on Monday. 

According to the police, Dr Sawant was found dead in a car outside the private hospital and he had self-injected a poison.

An organiser of the CME, also a doctor, told Deccan Herald that Yadav had insisted he be administered anesthesia by Sawant as they had been colleagues for a considerable period of time and understood each other perfectly.

This doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said since Sunday Sawant was deeply distressed by Yadav’s death and cried inconsolably all day and night. “Sawant felt he was responsible for his friend’s death and could not forgive himself,” the doctor said.

The police have registered a case, but no complaint was lodged in respect of Yadav’s death as the hospital authorities felt that he collapsed on the OT following a cardiac arrest.

The police are trying to contact the family members of both Yadav and Sawant.