Parliament Question: Working of Doctors beyond Working Hours

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3293 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07THAUGUST, 2026 WORKING OFDOCTORS BEYONDWORKING HOURS †3293.SHRIAJENDRASINGH LODHI:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased tostate:

(a)whether the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) hassought a compliance report from the Ministry of Health regarding the issue of postgraduate resident doctors being made towork beyondthe prescribed limitsand the violationof the PostgraduateMedical Education Regulations, 2023at R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the action taken so far against the concerned officials and the institution in the said matter and the details of the person held responsible for not submitting the compliance report on time;

(c) whether resident doctorsin variousmedical collegesare beingmade towork up to80-100 hours per week which is a violation of the prescribed norms across the country, if so, the detailsthereof,State/UT-wise; and

(d) whether the Government is ensuring strict compliance with the safety and working-hour limitsfor resident doctorsandif so,the detailsthereof? ANSWER THE MINISTEROFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)

(a) to (d): Case No 441/90/0/2025 of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was referredtoMinistry tosubmit the actiontakenreport ona complaintdated17.03.2025.

Matter was examined in the Ministry in consultation with National Medical Commission

(NMC) andsubmitted the report toNHRC, wherein it wasinformed asfollows: i. As perregulation5.2(ii)of thePGMER, 2023,"All post-graduate students will work asfull time resident doctors. Theywill work for reasonable working hours and will be

provided reasonable time for rest in a day”. Further, as per Regulation 9.1 of the PGMER, 2023, "For non- compliance or omission, the PGMEB will penalize the medical college/ institutions.". PGMEB, NMC is empowered to take action againstthe concerned medical college/ institution, as per specified under Regulation 9.2 of the PGMER, 2023.

ii. NMCAnti-RaggingCommitteeconvenedameetingon14.08.2024todeliberateupon the incident and its wider implications for the safety, well-being, and working conditions of medical students and resident doctors across the country. As an immediate measure, NMC issued an Advisory dated 13.08.2024 to all Medical CollegesandInstitutions.

iii. MoHFW/DGHShasissueddirectionstoallCentralGovernmentHospitals/Institutes, AIIMSs and all Medical Colleges to ensure filing of institutional FIR within maximum period of 6 hours of any incident of violence against doctors and other healthcare personnel vide OM dated 16.08.2024 and also issued advisories to States/UTs vide D.O. letters dated 23.08.2024 and 03.09.2024 to take immediate measures for enhancing security and providing safer working environment for medicalprofessionals.

iv. TheincidentatR.G.KarMedicalCollege,West BengalwastakenupbytheHon’ble Supreme Court of India in SMW (Crl) No. 2 of 2024, wherein the Hon'ble Court had constituted a National Task Force (NTF) to formulate recommendations for redressal of the issues regarding safety, well-being and working conditions of medical professionals. The Report of NTF had been submitted to the Hon'ble Court in November, 2024.

Also, as "Public Health and Hospitals" is a state subject, the respective State Governments/UT Administrations prescribe norms for doctors' working hours, service conditions, duty rosters in the concerned institutions, taking into account local requirements andapplicableservice rules.

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