AIIMS Announces 12-hour a day duty roster: Is it feasible? Here's what doctors say

Also Read: 12 hours a day, 48 hours a week- AIIMS fixes duty hours of resident doctors

"It's practically not possible with the current strength of residents. Same notice has been taken out for the third time in 6 years. But patient care shouldn't be affected, especially in medical and surgical specialties. So practically, it isn't feasible. The post-graduates almost do 36 hours at a stretch. Being on overnight duties every 3rd day because the intake is that way," Dr. Kaustubh said.

"Maybe the way forward is increasing the strength of residents and thereby implementing it once there are enough people," he further added.

Resident doctors across the country have been demanding reasonable working hours for a long time. Doctors undergoing Junior Residency during the period of Postgraduate medical education complain of long work hours, low pay, almost inhuman working conditions, lack of basic necessities, and even lack of a clear structure of what is expected.

Taking cognisance of the issue, the Supreme Court, back in the 1990s, had directed the formation of a Uniform Central Residency Scheme that would set up a defining base for all functioning of resident doctors in the country. Based on the Apex Court's directions, the government formed a scheme in the year 1992 and directed all states to implement the 'Uniform Central Residency Scheme' on 05 June 1992. The 1992 residency scheme had a provision that the Junior Residents should ordinarily work for 48 hours per week and not more than 12 hours at a stretch.

However, time and again, the resident doctors have alleged that these rules remained on paper only and in reality, they are expected to work for at least 70-80 hours per week. In case of a high workload, the duty hours can further be extended. The situation is worse for clinical branches, where in certain weeks the work hours can even reach 100 hours.

Recently, the matter also reached the apex Court as the doctors under the United Doctors' Front (UDF) filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court against the "inhumane working hours of resident doctors". The association has challenged the "exploitative and unconstitutional working conditions imposed on resident doctors across the country" and demanded the implementation of 1992 residency scheme.

Amid this, the announcement from AIIMS regarding a 12-hour per day and 48-hour per week duty roster seemed a step forward towards the resident doctors achieving their goal.

However, doctors from the institute have alleged that it is impossible to implement the rule with the current strength of resident doctors. Commenting on the matter, a resident doctor from the institute, told Medical Dialogues, on the condition of anonymity, "The rule cannot be implemented without increasing the strength of resident doctors. So it is impossible to implement the rule in the current scenario. Through our association what we are trying to do is atleast get some relief to the working hours of residents. There are departments were residents are working 100-120 hours per week which needs to change. Also a weekly off for all the residents is somethig that can be implemented."

Health activist and the National Spokesperson of the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Association (IMA-JDN), Dr. Dhruv Chauhan, has alleged receiving messages from AIIMS doctors highlighting the real condition of resident doctors at the institute.

"Many AIIMS doctors messaged me regarding the recent circular by AIIMS limiting working hours They informed that this is all PR drama notice by AIIMS which comes every year and nothing is being followed on ground rather some residents have even fainted with 24-36 hours continuous duty in dept like Obs gynae / Ortho / surgery When you go to complain they give reasons like shortage of doctors and over burden of patients," Dr. Chauhan wrote in an X post.

"Making Doctors work like robots causing silent defects in their physical engineering for the upcoming future and then being proud about comparing your institution as “Premier” top institution in world is funny. Surprising part is some doctors can justify it saying we are building the best in world and won’t even oppose rather continue to work like herds accepting the age old race as a “Norm” . Well I don’t deny you are the best , but at the cost of your own Health and Youth !" the X post further added.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues regarding the issue, Dr. Chauhan added, "I have received numerous messages of AIIMS resident doctors about how they suffer in silence as their departments make them work for 24-36 hours of inhumane duty that has even led to some residents getting faint while working. They barely get even time to eat their meal. This is happening at a top institution that claims to be one of the best in the world. Imagine if this is the condition of AIIMS what is happening at other periphery institutes? This is a systemic failure and the health ministry should intervene and focus on real issues that matter!"

Also Read: Supreme Court Issues Notice to Centre, NMC on Plea against 'Inhumane' Duty Hours for Doctors