Doctors move Supreme Court against 'inhuman' working hours for resident doctors

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing discussions initiated by the Central Government to amend the Central Residency Scheme 1992 and fix the duty hours of resident doctors, the doctors have decided to pursue the matter by taking legal recourse.

The doctors under the United Doctors' Front (UDF) has 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", read the Press Release dated 24.04.2025 issued by the association.

The plea, filed through Advocates Mr. Satyam Singh, and Ms. Neema AOR, has sought urgent intervention from the Apex Court to enforce compliance with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's 1992 directives notification, which mandates that resident doctors should not work more than 12 hours per day and 48 hours per week.

Further, the plea highlights that despite clear directives from the Supreme Court over three decades ago, medical institutions continue to violate prescribed standards with impunity. It cited the NMC National Task Force report on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students, which documented over 150 suicides of medical students within five years, primarily due to work-related stress and sleep deprivation.

Also Read: Will 48-hour work week for doctors become a reality?

UDF has approached the Supreme Court amid the ongoing discussions between the Central Government and the stakeholders on this issue. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that after around 33 years of introducing the Central Residency Scheme, 1992, the Central Government, for the first time, arranged a review meeting to introduce modifications to the already existing scheme.

One of the modifications that the Government is planning to introduce is to fix the duty hours of resident doctors to 48 hours per week, a long-pending demand raised by the members of the medical fraternity, especially those working as junior and senior resident doctors in the medical colleges.

While the Director General of Health Services, Dr. Atul Goel has informed that no final decisions were made during the meeting, the National President of United Doctors' Front (UDF), Dr. Lakshya Mittal and Chief Patron of FAIMA Doctors Association informed that the DGHS has agreed to modify the rules to clearly mention the fixed duty hours as 48 hours per week.

However, while speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr. Mittal had recently informed that UDF was also taking the matter to the Supreme Court for strict implementation of the 1992 directives and accountability.

Now, UDF has filed a PIL before the Supreme Court raising this issue. Commenting on the matter, UDF National President Dr. Mittal said, "Resident doctors are routinely made to work between 70-100 hours weekly without adequate rest, leading to chronic stress, physical exhaustion, and deteriorating mental health. This not only endangers the doctors but also compromises patient safety."

The association, in its plea, has requested the Court to- (1) issue directions to all government and private medical institutions to implement the 1992 directives on duty hours, (2) direct concerned authorities to prepare and enforce duty rosters that respect human psychological and physical limitations, and (3) establish enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with regulations.

Addressing the issue, Advocate Satyam Singh said, "This is not merely about labour rights but about the fundamental right to life with dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution."