Questions worth asking

A Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare has recommended strict, time-bound implementation of measures to regulate resident doctors' duty hours and improve their working conditions. The committee says excessive hours and inadequate service conditions contribute to mental health challenges among young medical professionals. Its recommendation follows a National Task Force established by the Supreme Court after the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Resident doctors have reported shifts extending well beyond standard limits, particularly in government hospitals. Hospital administrators have said staffing shortages, limited sanctioned medical posts and the need for continuous patient care have made existing duty-hour guidelines difficult to enforce.