AKU nursing school student commits suicide

KARACHI: A student of the Aga Khan University Hospital’s (AKUH) School of Nursing committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan of his dormitory room in the main hostel on Wednesday evening, said police.

Waseemullah, son of Hussainullah, a native of Gilgit, was a BSc student in the second year of the nursing school at the AKUH.

According to SP Gulshan-i-Iqbal Dr Fahad Ahmed, Waseemullah committed suicide due to “family problems”.

“Waseemullah was on full scholarship with a guaranteed job after the completion of his studies,” a university spokesperson said while talking to Dawn.com.

She added the deceased was also an active participant in extracurricular activities in the college, and reasons behind his death remain unclear.

A nursing examination scheduled for today has been postponed and educational activities will remain suspended in AKU medical colleges and nursing school today.

A similar incident took place in AKUH five years ago on Apr 16, 2010 when Ishfaq Hussain, a second year medical student hailing from Chitral, hung himself from the ceiling fan of his dorm room. Hussain had left a four-page suicide note behind.

Medical schools are often associated with high levels of stress, which many students are aware of when they take admission. According to reports, AKUH had started a faculty mentorship program to deal with such issues at that time.