Maharashtra doctors write to PM, Nadda over burnout after Phaltan medic's death
The Maharashtra chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Vice-Chancellor of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, seeking urgent intervention over what it describes as severe burnout among young doctors caused by long duty hours, harassment and unsafe workplaces. The representation, reported by Medical Dialogues on 10 September, follows the death of a young medical officer from Satara district late last month.
The case that triggered the letter
According to the IMA's representation, a medical officer posted at the Phaltan Sub-District Hospital attempted suicide at Sion railway station in Mumbai on 27 August 2026 and died at Sion Hospital on 31 August. The doctor is reported to have taken the step because of alleged workplace harassment, administrative pressure and external interference, Medical Dialogues reported.
The association also cited two other recent cases: a first-year MD resident in obstetrics and gynaecology who sought to give up her seat, and a first-year DNB general surgery trainee at Saifee Hospital in Mumbai who was suspended on 2 September after posting allegations of ragging and excessive duty hours on social media. In the latter case, the Saifee Hospital Trust has filed a Rs 125 crore defamation suit in the Bombay High Court, which has restrained the trainee from further posts and sought a reply, according to the same report.
What the rules already say
The IMA has pointed to two existing frameworks that it says are not being enforced. The Uniform Residency Scheme of 1992 envisages that continuous active duty for a resident doctor should ordinarily not exceed 12 hours, and that junior residents should work about 48 hours a week with a weekly holiday. The NMC's Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, also address mental well-being, reasonable working hours and rest for trainees.
Citing figures in its letter, the association said 85 postgraduate students in Maharashtra had discontinued their courses over the preceding five years, and that 11 suicides among postgraduate students had been reported in the same period.
Eight demands
The letter lists a set of measures the IMA wants implemented and monitored. These include digital tracking of duty rosters and attendance, confidential and time-bound grievance mechanisms for complaints of harassment and excessive hours, independent redressal systems with safeguards against victimisation, round-the-clock mental health support for residents, and a review of seat-leaving bonds and financial penalties. It also wants resident welfare built into how institutions are assessed, and explicit protection against retaliation for trainees who raise genuine concerns.
"The matter demonstrates the need for complaints raised by trainees to be examined through a fair, impartial and time-bound process, with due regard to the safety and well-being of the trainee concerned," the representation said, as quoted by Medical Dialogues.
Why it matters beyond Maharashtra
Resident doctors form the backbone of India's teaching hospitals, and complaints about 24- and 36-hour shifts are a recurring theme in medical colleges across states. The Maharashtra letter is notable because it frames the issue not as a demand for new rules but as a call to enforce ones that have existed for over three decades.
Neither the Prime Minister's Office nor the Union Health Ministry had publicly responded to the representation at the time of writing. Sadhna Prime News will follow up on any reply from the NMC or the state government.