PG medicos allegedly working 70-100 hours a week! MP HC issues notice to govt, medical council, MGM Indore
Indore: While hearing a plea challenging the long working hours of postgraduate resident doctors in the state, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the state government and other concerned authorities.
Issuing the notice, a division bench of Justice Subodh Abhyankar and Justice Alok Awasthi has sought responses from the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Madhya Pradesh Medical Council and MGM Medical College, Indore regarding the duty arrangements for PG resident doctors, as reported by Dainik Bhaskar.
The court passed the order on a petition seeking proper implementation of the Uniform Central Residency Scheme, 1992, which provides for a maximum duty schedule of 48 hours per week along with a weekly off for resident doctors.
According to the petition, many PG resident doctors in Madhya Pradesh are currently working for 70 to 100 hours a week. It also alleged that some doctors are required to work continuous shifts of up to 36 hours and may not get a weekly day off.
The petitioner has argued that resident doctors who shoulder a significant portion of patient treatment and daily medical operations in medical colleges form a crucial pillar of the healthcare system. However, prolonged working hours and continuous duties are placing considerable physical and mental strain on them.
Also read- Supreme Court postpones hearing on plea over resident doctors' 'inhuman' duty hours
It is noted in the petition that these junior doctors, who treat patients, are themselves grappling with issues such as mental stress, depression, and burnout, while a toxic work culture is also adversely affecting their mental well-being.
The petition emphasises the necessity of ensuring adequate rest, weekly offs, and a healthy work environment for doctors, as these factors are linked not only to the doctors' health but also to the quality of patient care.
Through this petition, the petitioner seeks the effective implementation of the Uniform Central Residency Scheme, 1992; the enforcement of the prescribed 48-hour work week and weekly offs; and the abolition of the practice of requiring PG resident doctors to work excessive hours continuously.
The matter was heard on August 7, 2026
The High Court directed the petitioner to deposit the process fee within one week and ordered that the matter be listed after four weeks for the respondents' response.
Advocate Amit Patel appeared for the petitioner, while Government Advocate Pradyumna Kibe represented the State.
Duty hours matter in Supreme Court:
The Supreme Court recently postponed the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the 'inhuman' working hours of resident doctors and seeking the implementation of the residency scheme, noting that the Union government's counter affidavit, though filed months ago, was not available on record during the hearing.
The adjournment was granted after the Registry failed to place the Centre's counter-affidavit on record. A division bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale directed the Registry to trace the Centre's counter-affidavit and place it before the Court and listed the matter for September 17.
Medical Dialogues reported last year that the doctors under the United Doctors' Front (UDF) had 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".
The plea, filed through Advocates Mr Satyam Singh and Ms Neema AOR, sought urgent intervention from the Apex Court to enforce compliance with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's 1992 directive notification, which mandates that resident doctors should not work more than 12 hours per day and 48 hours per week.
The PIL highlighted that despite clear directives from the Supreme Court over three decades ago, medical institutions continue to violate prescribed standards. The petition cites the 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.
Ministry's response in Parliament
The Union Minister of State for Health, Smt Anupriya Patel, recently informed the Parliament that postgraduate resident doctors should work within 'reasonable working hours' with 'adequate rest time each day', while referring to the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
The Minister issued the clarification in response to the queries raised by Parliament member Dr Ajeet Madhavrao Gopchade, who sought to know whether the Government has assessed the absence of a uniform and enforceable national framework regulating maximum daily and weekly working hours of doctors in Government and private hospitals and its impact on patient safety and quality care.
In response, the Minister stated, "As per the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (PGMER-23) issued by the NMC, all postgraduate students shall work as full-time resident doctors with reasonable working hours and adequate rest time each day. Postgraduate students are entitled to 20 days of casual leave, 5 days of academic paid leave per year, and one day off per week. Further, female postgraduate students are entitled to maternity leave and male postgraduate students are entitled to paternity leave in accordance with the applicable Government rules and regulations."
