DGHS finally blinks: Resident doctors inch closer to sane duty hours—but loopholes linger...
New Delhi—After three decades of hand‑wringing over “reasonable duty hours,” the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has, at last, put a number on the table: 48 hours a week for every resident doctor in the country.
The breakthrough came during Tuesday’s marathon meeting with the United Doctors Front (UDF). For harried junior docs who routinely log 80‑plus‑hour weeks, the shift looks like oxygen after a long code blue.
But before anyone pops the stethoscope champagne, here’s what you need to know.
What DGHS promised
The fine print nobody’s cheering yet
No deadline, no dice: DGHS hasn’t committed to a rollout date. Without a time‑bound circular, colleges can drag their feet harder than a night‑duty intern.
Missing penalties: A rule without punishment is like an OT without anaesthesia—lots of motion, little effect. Until fines or accreditation threats appear, non‑compliance could stay the norm.
Audit limbo: UDF wants quarterly or six‑monthly spot checks. DGHS has parked the idea in the “future deliberations” lot. We’ve seen that movie before.
Why it matters
Resident doctors are the spinal cord of India’s creaky public‑health beast. Burn them out, and the whole system flat‑lines.
If enforced, the 48‑hour ceiling could curb fatigue errors, slash attrition, and maybe even leave time for that mythical creature called sleep.
The road ahead
UDF chief Dr Lakshya Mittal calls the agreement “historic—if implemented strictly and without delay.”
That’s the razor‑thin caveat. Past reforms have died a slow death in committee corridors.
The onus now shifts to the Health Ministry: issue an enforceable notification, set audit schedules, and—most crucial—attach real consequences for defaulting institutions.
Until then, India’s resident doctors will keep one eye on the clock…and the other on whether the system actually changes this time.
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