Calls for Disciplinary Action, National Compliance Audit on Duty Hour Norms
New Delhi: Highlighting shocking violations of duty hour norms, the United Doctors Front (UDF) has written to the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) demanding immediate investigation and strict action against institutions such as AIIMS Bhubaneswar, AIIMS Bibinagar, and AFMC Pune for allegedly overworking junior resident doctors far beyond permissible limits. The UDF cited breach of guidelines under the Uniform Central Residency Scheme, 1992 and PGMER 2023, both of which cap working hours and emphasize adequate rest to avoid mental and physical burnout.
In a letter addressed to the NMC Chairperson and the Director General (Health), UDF National President Dr. Lakshya Mittal pointed to widespread non-compliance, citing Right to Information (RTI) replies that expose duty hours ranging from 24 to 36 hours at a stretch in several clinical departments. The rules clearly state that junior residents should not exceed 12 hours of continuous duty and must work no more than 48 hours per week, allowing for weekly off-days and adequate rest. “These duty hour violations are not isolated, but systemic. They compromise both resident welfare and patient safety,” Dr. Mittal noted.
According to RTI data, departments across AIIMS Bhubaneswar and AFMC Pune assign clinical duty shifts that routinely stretch beyond 30 hours. In AIIMS Bibinagar’s General Medicine department, first-semester junior residents reportedly undertake 24–36-hour shifts multiple times a week, in addition to frequent night duties. AFMC Pune’s Anaesthesiology department admitted scheduling 32–36 hour shifts weekly, offering only 1–2 hours of rest “depending on caseload.”
Further, the UDF’s letter urges the NMC and DGHS to initiate a fact-finding investigation, ensure accountability of responsible officials, issue a compliance directive to Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), and circulate a national advisory to all medical institutions reiterating mandatory adherence to prescribed working hours. Dr. Mittal emphasized, “This is not merely a matter of administrative oversight—it’s a human rights concern. We must protect our doctors from exhaustion and burnout, or we risk more mental health crises and medical errors.”
Dr. Mittal confirmed that the UDF has officially escalated the issue to the Ministry of Health, calling for disciplinary action, compliance audits, and a renewed push to implement a 48-hour work week cap—a reform the government has acknowledged but not yet enforced. He warned that continued neglect of duty hour regulations in India’s top institutions sends a dangerous message and puts both resident doctors and their patients at serious risk.
