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Are we forgetting that doctors are also Human?
It is a well known fact that resident doctors are the backbone of any government hospital in India. But, if the backbone of any system is stretched beyond its threshold, it will break.
For decades now, resident doctors have put almost inhuman hours of work while serving the patients selflessly. The Honourable Supreme Court of India in its order dated 25/9/87 asked for the implementation of an uniform central residency scheme throughout the country.In 1992 the scheme came into existence and said the following “The maximum working hours for a junior resident doctor should be 48 hours/ week and no doctor should work more than 12 hours/ stretch at a time” But nowhere in the medical system across the country, this is seen.
What is the present scenario?
As a psychiatrist, it is my duty to point out what are the medical implications of such harsh amounts of work.
It is a well known fact that resident doctors are the backbone of any government hospital in India. But, if the backbone of any system is stretched beyond its threshold, it will break.
For decades now, resident doctors have put almost inhuman hours of work while serving the patients selflessly. The Honourable Supreme Court of India in its order dated 25/9/87 asked for the implementation of an uniform central residency scheme throughout the country.In 1992 the scheme came into existence and said the following “The maximum working hours for a junior resident doctor should be 48 hours/ week and no doctor should work more than 12 hours/ stretch at a time” But nowhere in the medical system across the country, this is seen.
What is the present scenario?
- Resident doctors put upto 120 hours of work/week.
- At a stretch, duties extend for about 36 hours.
As a psychiatrist, it is my duty to point out what are the medical implications of such harsh amounts of work.
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