300 medicos leave PG seats in Maha, 25 suicides reported- Doctors flag 24-36 hour duties as systemic failure

Mumbai: Around 300 resident doctors are leaving their postgraduate seats in government medical colleges in Maharashtra every year, reportedly due to excessive workload and long duty hours, a recent report by Dainik Bhaskar has suggested.

The report, which has gone viral on social media, pointed out how junior and senior residents are frequently required to work continuous 24 to 36-hour shifts, leading to severe mental and physical stress. In the past few years, 25 deaths from suicide have also been reported, allegedly linked to this pressure.

Despite existing norms that limit duty hours to 48 hours per week, the Dainik Bhaskar investigation found that these rules are often not followed in practice in several government medical colleges and hospitals in Maharashtra. Resident doctors, who work for 24 to 36-hour shifts, get only an hour or two-hour break and inadequate rest.

Expressing concern, United Doctors Front (UDF) termed the practice as "exploitation" of doctors and questioned when they would be allowed to work under normal duty hours with proper rest and mental well-being and when the death of those who save our lives has become normal. 

Not only this, but the daily report has also highlighted that a female PG student in Nashik District Civil Hospital said she was on a 20–28 hour continuous duty, following which she was not even getting proper sleep. Due to constant stress, she left her course midway in March 2026.

In another case, a resident doctor in Nashik was on continuous 22–36 hour duty for months. He had complained about the workload earlier, but no solution was found. Due to mounting stress, he reportedly committed suicide. 

The investigation further noted that such working conditions may also be affecting patient care. With resident doctors handling most treatments in government hospitals, their performance is getting affected, which is impacting patient care. The report mentioned over 2,300 complaints related to medical negligence.

Reacting to the issue on social media, President of United Doctors Front (UDF) association, Dr Lakshya Mittal in a post on 'X' said, "On the orders of the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Health, Government of India, implemented the Residency Scheme on 05.06.1992. Even today, the same rule applies across the country. But it is being concealed and arbitrarily extended with long illegal duties."

Referring to the fact that UDF wrote a letter to the government about this last year, Dr Mittal said that a meeting was also held, and in that meeting, discussions took place on strictly implementing the 1992 Residency Scheme. However, he said that no concrete results have emerged so far. 

"We are receiving messages from numerous students and parents. Students distressed by long, illegal duties are committing suicide, abandoning hard-earned seats, and falling victim to mental depression. If the 1992 Residency Scheme is not followed, action should be taken against the concerned HoD under Section 146 of the BNS. If there is any fraud in the duty data, action should be taken under Sections 337 and 340 of the BNS," he said.

He further said that from 1992 until now, in 34 years, thousands of medical students have fallen victim to suicide, dropping out, and depression adding that this cycle must end now. "If medical students themselves are sick and exhausted, it will also have a negative impact on patient treatment," he added.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Mittal said, "The ongoing crisis in the healthcare system is not due to lack of policies, but due to lack of implementation. As per the Residency Scheme 1992 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, duty hours for resident doctors are clearly defined — not exceeding 12 hours a day and 48 hours a week. However, even in 2026, resident doctors across the country are being forced into 24–36 hour continuous shifts. This is not an exception — it is a systemic failure."

He further questioned, "When established rules are openly violated, it raises a fundamental question — are med schools above the law? Healthcare cannot function on exploitation. Patient care is directly compromised when doctors are overworked, exhausted, and unsupported. The need of the hour is strict enforcement of existing 1992 residency scheme regulations, transparent monitoring of duty hours, and urgent systemic reforms to protect both doctors and patients. This is not just a doctors’ issue — this is a public health emergency." 

Also read- TD Medical College Alappuzha paediatrics junior resident attempts suicide over excessive duty hours