UDF Moves Supreme Court Against 'Exploitative' Working Hours For Resident Doctors, Cites Mental Health Crisis
Mumbai: The United Doctors Front (UDF) has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India, demanding action against what they describe as the “exploitative and unconstitutional” working conditions faced by resident doctors across the country.
The doctors' body is seeking the enforcement of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s (MoHFW) 1992 directive, which limits working hours to a maximum of 12 hours per day and 48 hours per week.
This PIL follows the results of a nationwide survey conducted by UDF in collaboration with Medical Dialogues between March 12 and 24. The survey, which included 1,031 MBBS interns and postgraduate medical students from all states and union territories, uncovered alarming figures regarding overwork and its impact on the mental health of young doctors.
According to the survey, 86% of respondents reported that long working hours were directly harming their mental health and jeopardising patient safety. Additionally, 62% of the respondents indicated that they worked over 72 hours a week, while more than half revealed they did not receive a regular weekly day off.
Over 85% of participants said they experienced anxiety, depression, or burnout, and 81% admitted to feeling chronically overburdened by their duties. Furthermore, nearly 87% stated that their exhaustion was affecting their ability to provide quality patient care.
The survey also highlighted financial strain, with 44.91% of respondents facing hefty seat-leaving penalties of up to Rs 25 lakh and 13.09% encountering penalties exceeding Rs 50 lakh.
The most overworked were super-specialty students, with 76.74% working more than 72 hours per week. The South Zone was found to have the highest levels of mental health strain, with 90.57% of resident doctors reporting significant stress.
“These statistics are deeply concerning,” Dr. Lakshya Mittal, national president of UDF told The Free Press Journal. “Resident doctors are the backbone of both government and private hospitals, yet they are consistently subjected to systemic neglect,” he added.
“The 1992 guidelines from the MoHFW clearly state that no resident doctor should work beyond 48 hours a week or more than 12 hours per shift. Despite this, hospitals continue to disregard these norms. We have written to the Prime Minister, and a meeting was convened by the Director General of Health Services on April 22. However, resident doctors continue to be forced to work far beyond the stipulated hours. This consistent violation has prompted us to seek the intervention of the Supreme Court to ensure the law is finally enforced,” Mittal stated.
Sudha Shenoy, a parent-representative from Mumbai, expressed similar concerns, saying, “Emergencies are inevitable, and doctors always rise to the occasion in such situations. But the government must acknowledge that subjecting them to inhuman working hours is unacceptable. Doctors are often made to work 10 to 12 hours straight without breaks for food. There have been instances where junior residents return home after two days of duty only to be called back within a few hours. This relentless schedule must be regulated. I am not suggesting rigid 8-hour or 12-hour shifts, but there must be clear and humane guidelines.”
A medical education activist, who wished to remain anonymous, further added, “Resident doctors are being forced to work around 22 hours a day without adequate rest or meal breaks. After long shifts and patient rounds, they barely get time to eat, rest, or maintain basic hygiene. In healthcare, maintaining hygiene is critical not only for their health but also for the safety of the patients they care for. These inhuman working hours are severely affecting their mental health. I fully support and back the PIL filed by UDF to protect the dignity, health, and lives of our young doctors.”
In the petition, UDF has urged the apex court to issue directives to both public and private medical institutions to immediately implement the 1992 guidelines on working hours. The petition emphasises that this issue concerns not just labor rights but the fundamental right to life and dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court had previously addressed the plight of resident doctors in hearings related to the RG Kar Medical College, where their working conditions were deemed “inhuman”. The matter is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court in the coming weeks.
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