MP resident doctors distressed over excessive duty hours, seek intervention
Bhopal: The resident doctors in Madhya Pradesh are facing extreme stress due to continuous 36-hour duty shifts. Burdened by such a heavy workload, the junior resident doctors are considering leaving their seats, as they find it difficult to do so due to the Rs 30 lakh bond conditions.
As per the Uniform Residency Scheme 1992, the work pressure for the resident doctors should be capped at a maximum of 12 hours at a time and 48 hours per week. Recently, the Maharashtra Government has become the first state across India to implement the 1992 Residency Scheme. However, the resident doctors in Madhya Pradesh are facing extreme difficulties due to the heavy workload.
The chairperson of the United Doctors Front (UDF), Dr. Lakshya Mittal, told Medical Dialogues that a lot of students from Madhya Pradesh have approached him, highlighting their plights.
"We are receiving a lot of calls in this regard. The students are in depression due to such toxic work culture and heavy workload. We have urged the Union Health Minister to look into the matter. The only solution to this problem is that the colleges strictly comply with the National Medical Commission's directives. They should be held accountable for any violation and strict action should be taken against them. Already, the Maharashtra Government has implemented the 1992 Residency Scheme and we are waiting for the whole country to adapt the same," Dr. Mittal told Medical Dialogues.
As per the latest media report by Bhaskar, PG doctors in medical colleges including GMC Bhopal are being made to work 36-hour shifts and in between two shifts, they are getting only 8-10 hours of rest. This is resulting in the rising cases of depression and anxiety among PG medicos.
Explaining the situation, a doctor from the Gynecology Department of MGM Indore said that 3-2-2 system is being followed at the institute. According to this system, 36-hour duty is being assigned three times and in the remaining two weeks, twice such duties are being assigned. Speaking about how it is affecting him mentally, the doctor added, "Suicidal thoughts have started coming." The HoD of the Department Dr. Nitesh Dalal said he would only comment after asking the nodal officer.
Similar complaints have come from the Surgery Department of the Institute as well. One Junior resident said that the duty shifts exceed 36 hours and when they want to sleep at night, they are assigned to the children's ward. Already a complaint has been filed in this regard with the Human Rights Commission. The Head of the Surgery Department, Dr. Arvind Ghangoriya confirmed that they have received the complaint and assured that they will investigate the matter.
Dr. Ghangoriya, who is also the Dean of the institute, added, "This should not happen, but if a complaint has come, we will get it investigated."
"We have started duty in shifts in Gynecology. If a complaint comes from any other department, we will take action," said the Dean of GMC Bhopal, Dr. Kavita Singh.
NMC's Stand:
UDF has already filed a plea before the Supreme Court seeking direction to all government and private medical colleges/institutions in India to implement 48-hour residency duty hours, as prescribed in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare's Directive dated 05 June 1992.
Responding to the plea, the counsel for NMC submitted "every institution faces diverse local constraints or realities, including patient load, human resource constraints, and specialty-specific requirements and therefore, rather than imposing a rigid numerical limit that may compromise patient care and training, NMC deliberately intended to use the terms 'reasonable working hours' and 'reasonable time for rest' in its regulations."
This is why NMC has consciously incorporated the term 'reasonable working hours' and 'reasonable time for rest' in the PGMER, 2023, thereby allowing the college authorities/institutions, being the final implementation authorities; to adapt their schedules to local realities while still maintaining a humane working conditions in institutions for medical students and resident doctors, submitted the Commission.
Recommendations by Parliamentary Panel:
Recently, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, headed by MP Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, submitted its 172nd report on 18.03.2026. Taking note of the huge vacancies in the posts of faculty members and residents at the central government medical institutes, the Parliamentary Health Committee expressed concern about the excessive workload of doctors.
In the report, the panel highlighted the possibility of clinical errors and burnout resulting in compromised patient safety and recommended formulated and strictly enforcing a "Clinical Duty Hours Regulation" policy with mandatory rest periods and monitored rosters. Following this, UDF Chairperson Dr. Mittal wrote to the Union Health Minister, Shri J P Nadda, seeking urgent implementation of the same.
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