Doctor Dies in Car Accident, Raising Concerns About Work Fatigue

Ashleigh Barraclough wrote this article.

The topic is road accidents.

The article was published on Monday, June 29, 2026, at 5:29 am.

Artyom Avetisyan was a heart surgeon at Royal Hobart Hospital.

Here is a short summary:

Doctors want the Health Department to review its fatigue policies after a car accident killed a doctor.

The Australian Medical Association says doctors work in a difficult system that makes it hard for them to say no to work.

What happens next?

The Health Department says it has policies to manage fatigue, which were reviewed with staff this year.

There are calls for the Health Department in Tasmania to look at its fatigue policies after a doctor died in a car accident.

Artyom Avetisyan, a heart surgeon, will be greatly missed by his colleagues at Royal Hobart Hospital.

Doctor Avetisyan started working at Royal Hobart Hospital last year.

Tasmania Police said a 42-year-old man died in a car accident on the Midland Highway at Pontville.

The head of the Royal Hobart Hospital Medical Staff Association said Doctor Avetisyan was a hardworking and respected doctor.

Doctor Avetisyan trained in a special lab.

The head of the Medical Staff Association said Doctor Avetisyan was driving home to Hobart after work when he had the accident.

It is common for medical staff to travel around the state to see patients.

The head of the Medical Staff Association said fatigue can be a problem for doctors who travel.

Many doctors have to travel to other hospitals in the state to work.

The head of the Medical Staff Association spends a few days each month working at other hospitals.

He usually gets back to Hobart around 9 pm.

He is very aware of the problems of fatigue.

The death is a tragedy, says the medical association.

A doctor who worked with Doctor Avetisyan said he was always friendly and kind.

The hospital team works hard to make sure their schedules are safe.

The accident happened after a long day and a long drive, which makes people worry about fatigue.

The president of the Australian Medical Association in Tasmania said Doctor Avetisyan was a loved and respected member of the hospital team.

The doctors are grieving the loss of their colleague.

The circumstances of the accident will be investigated, but doctors often find it hard to say no to work because of the impact on patients.

Doctors have to make difficult decisions about which patients to treat first.

The pipeline of patients is not moving efficiently, which puts a burden on doctors.

There is a question about what the health department does to manage fatigue and whether these policies are being followed.

The health department will need to look at the issue of fatigue.

It is understood that Doctor Avetisyan was driving home from Launceston to Hobart when he had the accident.

The Health Department said it has policies to manage fatigue, which were reviewed this year.

These policies provide advice and help for managing fatigue to keep employees and patients safe.

The department also gives advice and guidance to staff on managing fatigue through its website and a special team.

The department asked staff for feedback on fatigue management policies earlier this year.

Managing fatigue is crucial for jobs that involve driving and shift work.

The president of the Tasmanian Foundation for Occupational Medicine said Doctor Avetisyan's death was a tragedy.

He said that companies need to have policies to manage fatigue, especially for jobs that involve critical decisions, driving, and shift work.

Organizations need to have a plan to manage fatigue risk.

Some companies have policies that limit the amount of driving and working hours.

More news from Tasmania is available.

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The article was published on Monday, June 29, 2026, at 5:29 am.

The article was updated on Monday, June 29, 2026, at 11:25 am.

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