PGIMER Doctors: Endless Shifts, No Balance?

Resident doctors at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh are reportedly enduring extremely long working hours, often between 80-90 hours per week. This situation persists despite the Central Residency Scheme of 1992, which caps duty hours at 12 per day and 48 per week, while mandating at least one week off every seven days. A circular issued last September by the PGIMER director aimed to optimize these hours, but it appears to have had little effect.

These demanding schedules frequently lead to residents working up to 30 days consecutively without any designated days off. The lack of adequate rest and personal time affects their efficiency and well-being. Residents in departments like internal medicine and those assigned to emergency and trauma centers report particularly strenuous conditions, often working longer than their scheduled hours due to patient influx or critical cases, without receiving additional stipends for this overtime.

Duty rosters from major departments, including internal medicine, paediatrics, and general surgery, corroborate these claims, showing no designated weekly offs for junior residents. While some senior doctors mentioned flexible offs for less rigorous ward duties, the overall picture suggests a significant disconnect between policy and practice. Numerous attempts to obtain comments from PGIMER administration and department heads, including the director and dean, were unsuccessful.