CHENNAI: Long working hours extending up to even 36 hours, no weekly off and increased workload due to shortage of manpower topped the list of grievances of postgraduate (PG) doctors studying at government medical colleges in the state. This came to light in a college-wise survey conducted by the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association after the death of young doctors recently.
So far, around 100 PG doctors from around 20 government medical colleges including Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College and Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai participated in the survey initiated on December 31, 2023. Many of the PG doctors facing severe work pressure were attached to departments like orthopaedics, ophthalmology, general medicine, geriatrics, anaesthesiology, general surgery, emergency medicine, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology.
The doctors at the Madras Medical College said they were made to work two 24-hour duty every week without weekly off. They said they are also involved in administrative work like maintaining seminar halls, audio systems and others.
In Madurai Medical College, the situation is worse, as PG doctors said the 24 hour-duty gets extended for 36 hours. In the newborn intensive care unit, 12-hour duty gets extended for 18 hours for the whole month.
Meanwhile, PG doctors at anaesthesiology department at Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem said they too face hectic duties for more than 36 hours in ICUs and during organ transplants. “There is no proper room to stay during night. There is no adequate academic activity, and it leads to severe mental and physical stress,” said a doctor from the college.
In colleges including Stanley Medical College Hospital and Madras Medical College, hostel facilities are not provided for PG doctors, forcing them to drive back home without sleep for more than 24 hours. A doctor in Thiruvarur Medical College said they are made to do more than 100 hours of duty per week. “We have to do scheme work with bogus reports for claim approval,” he said.
PG doctors from Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi medical colleges also raised the grievance of no weekly off. The doctors also mentioned salary issues in many colleges including Madras Medical College and Cuddalore Medical College.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr E Yogeshwaran, organising secretary, Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association, said, “The aim of the survey is to get weekly off for PG doctors. Some doctors are forced to work long hours as senior doctors pass on even their work to them. Some start their work at 7 am and work till 1 am.”
Dr Yogeshwaran said they will submit the survey report to the health secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi and the director of medical education Dr J Sangumani.