RTI exposes gruelling duty hours, burnout crisis among resident doctors at AIIMS, JIPMER, AFMC
Doctor
New Delhi: Resident doctors, belonging to premier medical institutes across the country, are suffering from heavy workload, long-stretched duty hours without rest, resulting in deteriorating mental health conditions, information obtained through Right to Information revealed.
From the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), NIMHANS, to Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), postgraduate resident doctors are burdened with such heavy workloads that they have to undergo Psychiatric counselling, revealed the RTI data. Several of these resident doctors left their courses midway, even after being admitted to premier medical institutes like AIIMS Delhi and JIPMER.
J. Swamidass filed these RTIs in collaboration with the United Doctors Front (UDF), which shared the data with the Medical Dialogues team.
Also Read: Resident doctors' duty hours implementation lies with states: NMC tells Supreme Court
Resident Doctors Leaving PG Courses Midway:
According to the data obtained through the RTI application dated 12.09.2025, a total of 225 superspeciality students quit AIIMS Delhi in the last 3 years. Data obtained from the Student Wellness Centre of AIIMS, New Delhi, revealed that from January 2022 to December 2024, 112 PG Medical and 22 non-medical PG students, and 13 super-speciality students took psychiatric counselling.
The situation in JIPMER is no better. RTI application dated 20.03.2025, filed by Shri Swamidass, revealed that from 2020 to 2024, altogether 276 PG students quit JIPMER, and 12 PG students were admitted to the Psychiatric Ward for depression/stress-related issues, 200 students took psychiatric counselling.
Commenting on the matter, Dr. Lakshya Mittal, the Chairperson of United Doctors Front (UDF), told Medical Dialogues, "Even though the major reasons for psychiatric counselling are cited as increased workload, conflicts with senior colleagues at workplace, academic difficulties, thesis related conflict with faculty ,alarming level of seat leaving exposes the toxic work culture and inhumane duty hours of JIPMER."
Further, in response to the RTI application, the institute informed that a total of 2 complaints were received on seniors bullying/faculty harassment, 2 complaints were received on hectic workload, and long working hours.
In AIIMS Bhopal, from 2020 to 2024, a total of 178 academic junior residents and 250 non-academic junior resident doctors quit the course.
Duty Hours:
The data revealed that the resident doctors in the Anaesthesiology Department of AFMC have to undergo 24-36 hours of duty at a stretch for four to five times a month. In the same department, the resident doctors of the 2024 batch had to undergo 63 separate 36-hour shifts over three months. The RTI data also revealed that the department assigned a 12-hour night shift of 1 student for 2 weeks, a total of 30 night shifts in a month.
Meanwhile, the resident doctors of the 2024 batch, undergoing studies in the General Medicine Department, had to undergo 66 hours of duty every week from December 2024 till March 2025. In this department, every resident doctor were assigned 4 night shifts per month during the same period of time.
Even though the authorities at AIIMS Bhubaneswar mentioned that all efforts are done to ensure that the duty hours do not exceed 48 hours per week, the RTI data revealed that in Departments like Ophthalmology, the resident doctors are assigned 12-14-hour shifts routinely and their shifts extend up to 24 hours for 2-3 times per week. When asked about the 24 hour duty shifts of faculty and staff, the institute replied that while the shifts are for 24 hours strictly, it can extend up to 30 or 36 hours in clinical departments, depending upon patient load.
The data obtained through the RTI applications further revealed that the Junior Residents in the Anaesthesiology Department of AIIMS Nagpur had to undergo 240 monthly duty hours (Approximately 60 hours per week) in August 2025 and 328 monthly duty hours (82 hours per week) in September 2025. Further, the data revealed that in September 2025, the junior residents had to undergo 24/36 hour shifts for 6 times.
The monthly duty hours in the Paediatrics Department of AIIMS Nagpur went up to 540 hours per month (135 hours per week) in August and September 2025. For these two months, the junior residents had to undergo as many as 15 shifts extending up to 24 to 36 hours.
Responding to an RTI application filed by Mr. Swamidass, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) informed that the resident doctors are not given any night offs. Further, the institute informed that the resident doctors only get a half day off per week, and the junior residents are usually posted on 24 hour emergency duties for 1-2 times per month and 12-hour night shifts during certain clinical postings. Regarding the leave policy, the institute revealed that MD residents are allowed 30 days of leave per year, including casual and academic leave, subject to sanction.
In JIPMER, an RTI of August 2025 revealed that many departments claimed that they do not maintain any record on actual duty hours, night offs, 24-hour and 36-hour shifts.
Referring to this, Dr. Mittal said, "Most departments do not maintain any record on actual duty hours and week off internationally to hide the illegitimate long duty hours and no week off. Residency scheme 1992 guidelines limit duty hours at a stretch to 12 hours and weekly duty hours to 48 with a mandatory week off whereas in reality doctors are squeezed from 24 to 36 hours off record. They are scared to disclose this cruel working culture due to fear of repercussion on degree, thesis and clinical skills learning."
In fact, in response to an RTI query, the National Medical Commission (NMC) itself acknowledged that in between 2020 to 2024, its Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) received 1680 complaints on heavy workload, long working hours, non-availability of weekly offs, bullying and verbal abuse by seniors, and power abuse by faculty members. During the same period, 1113 PG medicos quit their courses, and a shocking number of 119 UG and PG medicos died by suicide.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the United Doctors' Front had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the "inhumane working hours of resident doctors". The association 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 directives notification, which mandates that resident doctors should not work more than 12 hours per day and 48 hours per week.
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.
