TISS Student Dies of Cardiac Arrest, Students Allege Lack of Medical Facilities

TISS student dies of cardiac arrest; peers allege lack of ambulance and medical facilities on campus.

No Ambulance, No Doctor: TISS Student Dies After Campus Health Emergency

(Photo: The Quint/Sanjana Ray)

A first-year MA student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) died on Monday, 7 September, after a health emergency during a class.

P Janarthanan from Tamil Nadu, who was pursuing an MA in Health Administration, began experiencing breathlessness at around 9:00 am during a lecture at the KRH building on TISS’s New Campus in Deonar, Mumbai.

The incident occurred during a class being conducted by Prof. M. Mariappan, the Dean of the School of Health Systems Studies and Dean of Students’ Affairs at TISS, following which he was rushed to the hospital by his classmates.

While TISS issued a statement offering condolences to the deceased student’s family, students who spoke to The Quint alleged that the campus lacked basic medical facilities.

'No Ambulance, Doctor on Campus'

Requesting anonymity, students told The Quint that some MBBS students in the class recognised symptoms of a more serious medical emergency and asked for an ambulance to be called, but there was no ambulance available on campus.

While Janarthanan was taken outside the classroom and made to sit under a fan for better ventilation, students were allegedly told that the on-campus doctor would not be available until 10 am. He was eventually rushed to Zen Hospital in another student’s car, where doctors tried to revive him.

The hospital staff reportedly found no pulse on arrival and administered CPR and adrenaline for 40–50 minutes in an attempt to revive him. He was declared dead at around 10 am.

Students and peers have raised several questions about the institute’s emergency response, including the unavailability of an ambulance and a doctor during lecture hours.

The Progressive Students' Forum (PSF), an active student organisation at TISS affiliated with the Students Federation of India (SFI), issued a statement demanding a response from the administration.

"This incident raises fundamental questions about the institution's preparedness for medical emergencies. What emergency medical facilities are available to students? What is the existing emergency response protocol? Why was immediate medical assistance and emergency transport not available? The administration must provide clarity on these concerns," the PSF said.

"More importantly, this cannot be treated as an isolated incident. Concerns regarding inadequate campus health facilities have existed for a long time and have repeatedly emerged, including during dengue outbreaks and other health emergencies. These concerns have remained insufficiently addressed and cannot continue to be overlooked," the student's body said.

"We call upon the administration to provide clarification on the incident and urgently address the long-standing concerns regarding campus health and emergency facilities. This is a continuing institutional concern that requires accountability and concrete action." it said.

What Tiss Said

While TISS has not addressed the concerns raised by students, it issued a statement offering condolences to the family.

"It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing away of P. Janarthanan, first year student of the School of Health Systems Studies at TISS Mumbai. Janarthanan left us too soon, and we at TISS extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. The TISS community shares the grief and sorrow that has befallen us all. We are with the family at this heartbreaking time, and our thoughts and prayers will always be with Janarthanan's family."