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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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