23 junior MGMMCH doctors resign in 2 weeks; 7 more likely to follow

The resignations come amid growing unease among junior doctors over increased monitoring of their clinical work and daily routines. Insiders said that departmental heads had begun closely scrutinising patient case sheets to assess diagnosis and prescriptions made by junior doctors in the outpatient department. Hospital authorities were also reportedly tracking the amount of time doctors spent with patients during official hours, enforcing punctuality, and restricting movement outside wards without prior intimation, as part of measures aimed at strengthening professional discipline.

Speaking to TOI, an official familiar with the developments said, “The kind of pressure being built on the (junior) doctors at the hospital was causing mental woes to the doctors. More so, an atmosphere of distrust was building up at the workplace.” The official added that the heightened oversight was being perceived as excessive by young doctors already managing heavy clinical workloads.

Responding to the resignations, MGMMCH deputy superintendent Dr Nakul Choudhary told TOI that the hospital administration had introduced multiple steps to improve patient care and ensure smooth delivery of medical services.

“In a professional organisation, accountability of every member of the institution is fixed, and MGMMCH cannot be an exception to this universal practice,” he said, defending the management’s approach.

Dr Choudhary, however, denied that the resignations were directly linked to the new administrative measures.

Speaking to TOI, he said, “Several doctors said that due to the long working hours, they were unable to give sufficient time to their post-graduate (PG) studies. Hence, they were leaving the job.” He maintained that the intent behind the measures was to improve institutional responsibility rather than target junior doctors.

Echoing concerns about academic pressure, MGMMCH Junior Doctors’ Association president Dr Ganesh Srivastav also told TOI that increasing workload was making it difficult for junior doctors to balance clinical duties with postgraduate studies. “Out of the 55 junior doctors, about half of them resigned from work,” he said, highlighting the scale of the issue.

The mass resignations have dealt a setback to the state government’s efforts to strengthen public healthcare delivery, even as they underline the growing strain faced by junior doctors who are expected to manage patient care, academic responsibilities, and administrative expectations simultaneously.