New Delhi, Apr 25, (UNI) The United Doctors Front (UDF) has moved the Supreme Court of India with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking urgent intervention into what it describes as “exploitative and inhuman” working conditions faced by resident doctors across medical colleges and teaching hospitals in the country.
The PIL highlights widespread non-compliance with a directive issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on June 5, 1992, which mandates that resident doctors should not work more than 12 hours per day or 48 hours per week.
The petition alleges that despite repeated reminders and acknowledgements, including by premier institutes like AIIMS, the rule remains unimplemented in both government and private institutions.
“Resident doctors are being made to work 70 to 100 hours per week, often without adequate rest, in clear contravention of constitutional and statutory mandates,” the petition states.
The UDF contends that such conditions result in chronic stress, burnout, sleep deprivation, and serious mental health issues, violating the doctors’ fundamental rights under Article 21 the right to life with dignity.
The PIL further references the National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students, which recorded over 150 suicides in five years among medical students many of them attributed to oppressive work conditions and lack of institutional support.
The petition also points to the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, which vaguely mention “reasonable working hours” but fail to define or enforce limits, leaving room for arbitrary and excessive scheduling. Additionally, an Office Memorandum issued by AIIMS in September 2020, reiterating the 1992 directive, also failed to yield substantive change, according to UDF.
The PIL makes special mention of a Supreme Court observation dated August 22, 2024, in the RG Kar Medical College case, where the apex court described the working conditions of resident doctors as “inhuman.”
The UDF is seeking the Court’s intervention through a writ of mandamus to direct all government and private medical colleges/institutions to implement the 1992 Health Ministry directive. It also wants to
ensure the creation and enforcement of duty rosters that are sensitive to the physical and psychological limits of resident doctors.
The petition is currently awaiting listing for hearing before the Supreme Court.
The UDF is represented by its president Dr. Lakshya Mittal, along with two advocates.
