Finally, Delhi Doctors to get a 45 mins lunch break

New Delhi: Good news from doctors practicing in government hospitals in Delhi!

The government has finally changed the mandated OPD timings to include a 45 minutes of lunch break for doctors which was earlier decided as 8:00 am to 2:00 pm without a lunch break.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that Delhi government had recently announced a  major change in the OPD Timing from 9 am-1 p.m earlier, increasing it by 2 hours and making the same as 8 am-2pm after the city administration has decided to extend the timing to avoid crowding of the facilities, according to a government order.

Aggrieved with the new order of the Delhi government calling for longer OPD hours, without even a single break,  around 15000 resident doctors associated with government hospitals had threatened to boycott OPD from November 1, 2017.

Highlighting the grievances of the doctors, representatives of Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) led by  held a meeting with the Principal Health Secretary, Additional Health Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with the other participants including Dr. J.C Passey, MD, LNJP Hospital, Dr. Punita Mahajan, MS, BSA Hospital in connection to the strike of resident doctors regarding the extension in OPD timings.

The government has finally agreed to the demands of the resident doctors and as recorded by the minutes of the meeting, amended the OPD order to include the following issues.

1. OPD Registration- The OPD register now will on open at 7:30 am and closed at 12:00 pm. Earlier the health authorities had directed the hospitals to start the registration on 7:30 and closed at 1:oo pm


2. Lunch Break-  There would now be a lunch break of 45 minutes after 12:30 pm at any time which were not included in earlier extended timings. The precise timing of the lunch break would be decided by the medical superintendent in consultation with respective HODs as per the mutual convenience of the  attending doctors


3. Special clinic registration- The registration for special clinic registration will be at 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.


4. These timings will apply to teaching and non-teaching hospitals.

The Delhi Resident doctors have called off the strike after the health authorities have agreed on the said demands.

" We explained to the authorities that given the load at government hospitals, it is almost hazardous to make a doctor work non-stop for 6 hours without a single break. Besides the lunch break, authorities have also agreed that another break of 10-15 mins may be taken by the doctor at anytime. The official work time will remain 8am to 3 pm." said FORDA President Vivek Chouksey

"In the month first week of December, the OPD timings will be reviewed and positively the OPD will start functioning at 9:00 am", he added

He Further said that another review meeting will be held in the last week of November.