The United Doctors Front (UDF) has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India highlighting the exploitative working conditions imposed on resident doctors in medical colleges and teaching hospitals across the country.
In the petition, the UDF asserts that despite the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s dated June 5, 1992, which mandates that resident doctors should not work more than 12 hours per day and 48 hours per week, the rules are not being implemented. The petition states, “Resident Doctors are subjected to excessive, unregulated, and exploitative duty hours in clear contravention of established constitutional and statutory mandates.”
The UDF, in its petition, has written that resident doctors are regularly made to work between 70 and 100 hours per week without adequate rest, resulting in chronic stress, physical exhaustion, and deteriorating mental health. The petition points out that these conditions are a violation of their fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life with dignity.
The PIL also draws attention to findings of the National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students, which reported over 150 suicides in five years among medical students, attributing these tragedies to work-related stress, sleep deprivation, and a general state of institutional apathy.
Furthermore, the petition notes that the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 merely refer to “reasonable working hours” without enforcing specific limits. It also cites the Office Memorandum issued by the Registrar of AIIMS on 06 September 2020, which, despite reiterating the importance of complying with the 1992 Notification, failed to bring about any effective change.
In connection with this matter, the PIL refers to observations made by the Supreme Court in the RG Kar Medical College case on August 22, 2024, where the working conditions of resident doctors were described as “inhuman.” The UDF argues that such conditions not only endanger the health and dignity of medical professionals but also compromise patient safety.
The prayer in the petition seeks that the Court may:
- 1.“ Issue a writ of Mandamus or an appropriate order directing all government and private medical colleges/institutions in India to implement the residency duty hours as prescribed in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s Directive dated 05 June 1992.
- Direct the concerned authorities to prepare and enforce duty rosters that respect the physical and psychological limitations of human beings.”
The matter is now pending listing for hearing in the Supreme Court.
UDF is represented by President Dr. Lakshya Mittal and Advocates Satyam Singh and Advocate Neema (AOR).