Resident doctors' duty-hour violations: NCSC asks AIIMS, health ministry to reply in 15 days or face summons

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has issued notices to the Union health ministry and the director of AIIMS New Delhi over alleged violation of duty-hours regulations for resident doctors. The commission has asked both the ministry and institute to submit details of action taken within 15 days and issued a strict warning to comply with the deadline.

The notice comes after months of protest and a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the “systematic exploitation" of resident doctors across medical colleges.

The petition, filed by the United Doctors Front (UDF), sought strict enforcement of the 1992 government guidelines which capped the working hours for resident doctors at 12 hours per day and 48 hours per week.

"Please take notice that in case the Commission does not receive reply from you within the stipulated time, the Commission may exercise the powers of Civil Courts conferred on it under Article 338 of the Constitution of India and issue Summons for your appearance in person or by a representative before the Commission," the NCSC said in the notice.

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Resident doctors allege violation of rules

The junior and senior resident doctors across medical colleges have been protesting the continuous violation of both NMC’s residency scheme 1992 and Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER) 2023.

While some resident doctors in top medical colleges such as AIIMS Bhubaneswar and AFMC Pune claimed that they were being forced to work 30-36 hour shifts, others from across the country alleged that they were frequently pushed to work 70–100 hours a week.

The government and medical colleges have ignored the law for over the past three decades, Dr Arun Kumar said, adding that "such burnout not only violates the rights of resident doctors but also compromises patient safety".

In response to the petition, AIIMS Delhi in August issued a fresh circular reiterating the duty-hours for residents and instructed all colleges to maintain record of working hours. The top court is likely to take up the matter on October 14.