Burnout, heart disease and anxiety taking heavy toll on Pakistan’s doctors
Baku, January 12, AZERTAC
Pakistan’s doctors are emerging as some of the country’s most neglected patients, with alarming data revealing widespread burnout, physical exhaustion and rising suicide rates within the medical community, according to Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). Figures presented at a national academic forum showed that nearly 60 percent of doctors suffer from burnout, about 80 percent report chronic physical exhaustion, while suicide rates among physicians are almost double those of the general population.
Senior cardiologists and mental health experts warned that prolonged stress, excessive working hours, sedentary lifestyles and urban pressures are driving higher rates of heart disease, obesity, depression and anxiety among doctors, particularly in metropolitan centres such as Karachi.
Global health data shared at the forum highlighted that cardiovascular disease claims around 21 million lives annually worldwide, far exceeding deaths caused by Covid-19, with stress, inactivity and obesity identified as the leading risk factors.
The concerns were discussed at Mediverse: Life in a Metro, a nationwide scientific symposium organized by Hudson Pharma under its academic initiative promoting evidence-based healthcare and physician wellbeing. The Karachi session was held at a local Hotel.
Delivering the keynote address, consultant interventional cardiologist Dr Mohammad Rehan Omar Siddiqui described doctors as “the most neglected patients in the healthcare system,” warning that self-diagnosis, self-medication and working through illness are leading to “reasonable heart attacks, diabetes, depression and suicide”.
He noted that despite global recommendations of 180 minutes of physical activity per week, fewer than one in ten doctors had exercised on the day of the event. “We have normalised exhaustion, and it is costing lives,” he said, adding that most physicians now discourage their children from entering the profession due to its punishing demands.
Psychiatrist Dr Kulsoom Haider highlighted the close link between emotional distress and physical illness, explaining that prolonged stress and unprocessed emotions can trigger cardiac and gastrointestinal conditions. She stressed the importance of mindfulness, breathing techniques and emotional awareness to protect mental and heart health.
Panelists Dr Tanveer and Dr Afzal Lodhi spoke about denial within the medical profession, warning that ignoring personal health risks has become culturally ingrained among doctors.
In concluding remarks, Samreen Hashmi Qudwai, Vice President Commercial Operations at Hudson Pharma, said physician wellbeing must take priority over products or brands, cautioning that continued burnout would make the healthcare system unsustainable.
Experts agreed that without urgent intervention—including mental health support, manageable workloads and cultural change—Pakistan risks losing its doctors prematurely, endangering both patient safety and the future of its healthcare system.
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