The United Doctors Front filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court on Thursday, seeking to end what was described as exploitative and unconstitutional working conditions for resident doctors.
The petition, filed by UDF National President Dr. Lakshya Mittal and represented by advocates Satyam Singh and Neema, calls on the court to enforce a 1992 government directive limiting doctors’ working hours to no more than 12 hours per day and 48 hours per week.
“Resident doctors are routinely made to work between 70 to 100 hours weekly without adequate rest, leading to chronic stress, physical exhaustion and deteriorating mental health,” Mittal said in a statement. “This not only endangers the doctors but also compromises patient safety.”
Mental health crisis among medical professionals
The case comes amid growing concern over the mental health of medical professionals in India. A report by the National Medical Commission’s National Task Force recently documented over 150 suicides among medical students in the past five years, many linked to work-related stress and sleep deprivation.
The UDF’s petition argues that hospitals continue to impose excessive working hours without repercussions despite previous Supreme Court rulings and government directives.
Advocates Singh and Neema have urged the court to direct all government and private medical institutions to comply with the 1992 notification, create humane duty rosters and establish enforcement mechanisms.
“This is not merely about labour rights but about the fundamental right to life with dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution,” Singh said.
The petition follows the Supreme Court’s observations last year in the RG Kar Medical College case, describing resident doctors’ working conditions as “inhuman.”
The matter is expected to be listed for hearing in the coming weeks.
