Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission has issued notice to the National Medical Commission over allegations that postgraduate medical residents, including persons with disabilities (PwD), are being made to work “inhumane and unregulated” duty hours across medical colleges, calling for an action taken report within two weeks.Acting on a complaint filed by Dr Lakshya Mittal, the commission said the allegations point to “serious violations of human rights” and directed the NMC to conduct an inquiry and submit findings expeditiously.The complaint alleges that residents are routinely assigned 24–36 hour shifts at a stretch, sometimes stretching up to 72 hours, in violation of the Uniform Central Residency Scheme, 1992 and the NMC’s Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER) 2023. It states that mandated weekly offs, leave provisions and regulated duty hours are widely ignored by institutions.A senior NMC official said the Commission is considering issuing an advisory to ensure reasonable working hours.According to the petition, excessive workload has led to severe physical and mental stress among trainees, with instances of suicides and dropouts flagged earlier by an NMC National Task Force.The complaint also highlights that PwD residents face disproportionate hardship due to lack of reasonable accommodation, inadequate infrastructure and weak grievance redressal systems, despite protections under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and a July 2025 communication from the social justice ministry.The NHRC has asked the NMC chairman to examine whether guidelines on duty hours, weekly rest and workplace safeguards are being implemented, and to outline corrective steps. It has also sought details of institutional accountability mechanisms and compliance monitoring across medical colleges.The notice puts fresh scrutiny on working conditions in teaching hospitals, an issue that has periodically surfaced but seen limited enforcement on the ground.
